The Aurora Saga: Broken Aurora
by Hollowgo
Summary: AU. Haunted by her tormentor from the past, Bella Cullen has only wanted one thing: to find her soulmate. She may have just found that in the form of Alice Brandon, but what will the consequences be? Bella/Alice. Rated T for language and violence. COMPLETE.
1. Memories

**Disclaimer: I take no claim for Twilight or its characters, only for my own ideas and my own characters.**

**A/N: I figured that since there is no preface for this story (I couldn't think of one), I'd write a bit at the beginning. This is the "in-the-works" Bellice story that I mentioned some time ago. It's not as far as I'd like it to be yet, so don't expect any two day updates for it yet. **

**So this is another AU story where the characters are likely going to be OOC or whatever the term is. Just so you're aware, this story is rated M for language, violence, sexual themes (not a whole lot, but there are a few) and, well, the angsty stuff. If you don't like drama, humor, a bit of angst, randomness, weirdness and the pairing of Bella and Alice being together, then this is not your story and I suggest you go elsewhere.**

**Anyways, without further ado.**

**Memories**

I stood in silence on top of a snowcapped hill, far away from civilization. A gust of wind blew overhead, ruffling the loose strands of my dark chocolate colored hair. I stared at the empty whiteness of the terrain stretching out before me, raking every inch of it, every tree, rock and snowy hill, for any signs of what I was looking for.

_Nothing._

With a growl, I took off, speeding through the thin blankets of white beneath my feet, turning my head to the side every second, nostrils flaring as I breathed in the scents around me. The smell of the pine trees and of dampness filled my nose, a small hint of something else hidden within them. I narrowed my eyes and stopped abruptly, breathing in as deep as I could.

_Could it be?_

I slowed my pace and gradually began to follow the scent, ignoring the other smells that tried to make themselves known. I didn't care for the smell of the trees or of the family of rabbits burrowed within the hole five feet away from me. They were not my concern. No. My only interest was following that other smell, hoping that it was the one.

_It is._

That smell, the sweet scent that I knew too well, permeated the air around me. To a human, the scent would have been enjoyable and mouthwatering, enough to make their minds go limp as they struggled to get a stronger dose of it. To me, though, it made me sick to my stomach. Were it physically possible, I would have stopped and gagged right then and there. But I didn't, because vampires couldn't gag, thankfully.

_I found you._

Those were the only words running through my mind as I chased after the scent, my eyes darting around wildly, hoping to catch a glimpse of the owner. I picked my speed up, blurring around trees and up and down hills, everything around me becoming little more than speed lines washed away from the speed in which I moved at. The scent became stronger as my vision began to blur, memories of the past forcing their way into the back of my mind.

_I was lying in a flat bed, my breathing ragged and my whole body sore. The pain was immense; enough to make me scream, but my voice was hoarse from all the screaming I'd been doing for the past ten minutes. The light above me was dim, not enough to give me an idea of how large the size of the room I was in was. It didn't matter; I knew that I was in a hospital room._

"_Doctor, she's not looking too good," a nurse said, walking over to check on me. _

"_I know, I know," the doctor replied, shaking his head._

_Everything around me was hazy as the pain only seemed to increase. I shut my eyes tight, the tears already pouring onto my face. I heard the nurse and doctor speaking to one another, but I could hardly focus on the words they were saying._

_So much pain…it hurts…it HURTS!_

_Before I could even think, I lurched forward and coughed, blood spewing from my mouth and onto the hospital gown I'd been wearing. The light seemed to fade as I collapsed back onto the bed, barely aware of the faint voices calling out to me._

I pushed the images aside and snarled, slamming my left fist into a nearby tree. The trunk shattered instantly and the remaining portion toppled to the ground, barely making a sound as the snow absorbed the impact. I clenched my fists tightly to my sides, the anger building as I continued forward, sniffing the air every few seconds to make certain I followed the scent.

The trail I was following led into a cave, which I barreled into without a second thought. It was dark, at least it would be for a human, but I could see everything perfectly. I made my way through the interior of the cave, ignoring the vague rumbling noises that echoed through as I exited out the other side.

The scent was beginning to lessen in strength, which made me livid with anger and irritation.

_No! I am NOT losing it again!_

I stared downwards, the cave opening coming to a cliff. I shrugged and jumped down, landing gracefully on my feet, kicking up a small bit of snow as I did. I spun around, sniffing the air around me, trying to find the scent again. It was faint, but it was still there, easing me a bit. It wasn't enough, though. I had to keep going, to keep tracking. I _needed_ to.

"_Push, dear, push!" the nurse cried. "Come on, you can do it!"_

"_She's losing too much blood, she won't make it," the doctor grunted. "We need another doctor in here! Someone call Dr. Cullen!"_

_I coughed up more blood, my body throbbing in pain._

"_That's it, keep pushing! You're almost there!" the nurse urged._

_My body was so weak, so pained. I could barely manage another push. But I needed to. I needed to get this thing out of me and now. It was too much. I couldn't bear it anymore! With as much strength as I could muster, I let out a loud scream and pushed as hard as I could…_

I followed the direction where the smell was strongest, blurring past more trees and an elk as I did. I wasn't thirsty at the moment, though I did feel a vague burn in my throat. Not now, though, I couldn't feed now. I was so close, I couldn't miss this chance. Not after coming so close so many times before, every other time that I'd tracked this scent. That I'd tracked _him_.

_At last, the pain had subsided. I was drenched in blood and sweat, breathing raggedly as I stared at the ceiling. My body ached as I listened to the hushing coos of the nurse hovering over me, stroking my wet head._

"_It's alright. It's over," she cooed reassuringly. _

_The doctor walked to my other side, holding a bundle surrounded by cloth in his arms. _

"_Congratulations Mrs. Swan, you are the proud mother of a new baby girl. What do you wish to name her?"_

_Some of the cloth parted and a pair of emerald green eyes stared back at me, boring into my eyes with an ethereal gaze that made me feel as though they were penetrating my very mind. A small smile adorned her pale face as she stared silently back at me. I couldn't give a response to the doctor. I did not want to name this child. I never did. I knew that she was no ordinary child, and the smug grin on her face proved that she was aware of this fact as well._

_I didn't want things to turn out this way…I never wanted this. _

_The tears continued to fall down my face onto the bed beneath me. My nurse, foolishly believing my tears to be tears of joy, stroked my head as if trying to comfort me._

"_You can name her later. You need your rest now."_

_Stupid woman, do you not know what she is? What her father is?_

_My thoughts were broken by the sound of shattering glass as a cold breeze struck me, causing me to shiver. The nurse screamed as the doctor spun around, eyes wide with fright at the figure standing where the window had once been. Slowly, the emerald green eyes that had been boring into me turned to face the same figure, a smile of delight forming on the child's lips._

"_You…w-what in the world? How did you-"_

_He was cut off when the figure vanished into thin air, appearing behind him in an instant. He did not get a chance to react when a pair of razor sharp teeth pierced the back of his neck, his eyes going white as his body spasmed. I turned away, trying to block out the screams of the nurse and the gurgling noises coming from the dying doctor._

_In seconds his body collapsed onto the floor, limp and lifeless, his blood fully drained. The nurse continued to scream, trembling on the floor like a frightened rabbit, unable to make sense of what she had just seen and uncertain of what to do next. _

"_W-wha-" _

_She too did not get a chance to speak as the figure blurred over to where she was, roughly slamming a foot into the woman's throat, a quick snapping noise following after. I heard a short, throaty chuckle emanate from the man standing over her, a cruel smile on his face as he turned to look at the child, who he now held in his arms as if she were sacred._

"_Would you like your first meal, my dear?" he asked, cocking his head to the side._

_The little monster nodded and was lowered down to the trembling woman. I shut my eyes when I heard the same noises coming from her for what felt like hours before the woman's body fell to the floor as well, her life also extinguished._

_Then I felt not one, but two pairs of eyes on me. I shuddered when I felt a cool hand brush against my cheek, forcing my eyes to open and gaze back at the blood red orbs glaring back at me, that same twisted smile still in place._

"_Hello Isabella. I must say I'm so pleased that you survived this painful process. I wouldn't want my sweetheart to die from all the pain, now would I?" he asked in a mocking tone. "Now then, be a good dear and say hello to our child, why don't you?"_

_He held the girl in front of me, her eyes as black as the soul of the man holding her. She stared at me inquisitively, uncertain of something that I didn't understand, not that I cared to. He tilted his head back and laughed a dark, velvety laugh as he shook his head, clearly amused at me. _

"_My, how your thoughts entertain me, Isabella. Come now, you know you love me. Why else would you have consented to me in the first place, silly girl?"_

_I cringed when the images of that horrid night flashed before my eyes, only making the smirk on his face grow. I tried as hard as I could to force them out, but doing so only strengthened them, making me whimper when I felt his icy fingers tracing my skull. _

"_You know you enjoyed it, Isabella. I know I certainly did," he purred, his cold breath caressing my wet neck._

"_Y-you're…a m-m-monster…" I grunted out, too terrified to meet his eyes._

_He laughed again, though this laugh was less humorous then the last. "Oh, you, always with your silly nicknames and your crying and whimpering. It's so…what is the word I'm looking for here? Ah, yes. Pathetic. That is all you are, Isabella Marie Swan; pathetic."_

_I used as much strength as I could to glare at him. "Go…go to h-hell…Edward…" I was unable to finish when more blood trickled out of my mouth. I coughed roughly, wincing at the searing pain that shot through my entire body._

_He stepped forward, grabbing me by the throat with one hand. His eyes were now pitch black, all traces of humor gone from them as he curled his lip back and hissed at me. The little monster in his other arm mimicked his motions, glaring scathingly at me as he did._

"_**Silence**__ you worthless bitch or I will snap your neck here and now," he snarled. "Be thankful that I even got you a doctor, Isabella! I could have let you die like an animal, but no, I chose to be merciful to you. And this is the thanks I get? You do not deserve to live considering all the trouble I had to go through. Plus, you know my secret, which I simply can't allow."_

_He looked like he was about to snap my neck, but stopped and spun around to face the door with wide eyes. I turned slightly and watched as the door flung open and two people flitted into the room speedily, coming to a halt when they saw Edward. I vaguely recognized them, having seen them once or twice before outside. _

_They were the Cullens._

_The man was Dr. Carlisle Cullen, and his wife was Nurse Esme Cullen. They were both wealthy and extraordinarily beautiful, and both were incredibly kind people. Esme's eyes, an unnatural yet gorgeous gold color, flickered from Edward, to the child to me, widening when she saw me._

_Edward let out a loud snarl and, after one last glare at me, tore out of the room leaping out of the window without hesitation. I didn't get a chance to watch anymore when I vomited up more blood, my throat hurting from all the coughing I'd been doing. My whole body throbbed with pain, causing me to whimper loudly._

_I felt a pair of cold hands touching the top of my head and looked up to see the sorrowful face of Esme Cullen staring back at me._

_Wait. Cold hands? Pale skin? Unnatural eye color? Could they be…?_

"_You poor thing," Esme murmured, her voice drenched in sympathy._

"_She's not going to make it," Carlisle said sadly, appearing next to her, the same look of sheer sympathy on his face. "She's losing too much blood and her internal injuries seem severe." He glanced at my body, then at the floor where the two dead people lay. "So much loss, so much death. What could he have hoped to gain from all of this?"_

_I coughed again, nearly gagging on the blood in my mouth. Tears started trickling down my face as I stared into the broken face of Esme Cullen. _

"_Carlisle…" Her voice was a whisper, barely even audible to me. "I think…I think we should…" She paused and gazed into his eyes, her eyes speaking what her mouth could not._

_Carlisle seemed to understand her completely and looked down at me. "Isabella, can you hear me?" he asked in a soothing voice._

_I nodded weakly, as much as I could._

_Carlisle and Esme looked at one another again. Esme nodded briskly before stroking my head._

"_Do you want to live, honey?"_

The words echoed in the back of my head as I reopened my eyes, staring at the empty landscape in front of me. The scent was starting to dissipate and it made me livid. Not again. This couldn't happen again, not after I'd gotten so close.

I sprinted, blurring past more trees and following the scent as best as I could. Eventually I came to a complete stop, staring disdainfully at what lay in front of me. The ocean. I stared at it and sniffed the air, finding that the scent ended here. There was no other explanation, then. He had escaped into the ocean, erasing his scent.

I clenched both of my hands into tight fists and curled back my upper lip. The guttural roar that ripped from my mouth echoed throughout the area, causing nested birds to fly away in fright, squawking as they did. I glared hatefully at the ocean, cursing the waves for masking the scent, cursing him for running away, cursing myself for having ill luck once again.

My heart sank as the rage turned into sorrow as my shoulders slumped. I hung my head, staring down at my golden eyed reflection, disappointed with myself and my luck.

I had failed.

There were no other words that came to my mind aside from the word "fail" over and over again.

I sighed morosely and started walking back to where I'd started at a slow pace. My mind was all over the place with different thoughts, questions and concerns. The most predominant among them was the disappointment that I felt for not catching him this time. I'd been so sure that I would have succeeded. I'd planned everything out right and moved as fast as I could, yet it didn't seem to be good enough in the end.

I slipped my left hand into my pocket and pulled out a cell phone, flipping it open and dialing a number with my thumb in a matter of seconds. I pulled the phone to my ear as it was answered on the very first ring.

"Hello?" sang the voice on the other end of the line.

"Hi, Tanya," I said softly.

"Bella! It is so good to hear from you, my friend. I must admit that I was beginning to get worried about you. Not only that, but Esme called. She misses you terribly, Bella. They all do, as I'm sure you miss all of them."

I sighed again, the underlying homesickness that I'd been feeling for the past day and a half nailing me right in the heart. I hated being away from home, from my parents and siblings, to the point where it was often physically painful to be gone for lengthy periods of time, even if it was just for one day.

But when I got a call from the Denali Coven that they had caught sight of _him_ in their area, I had to come.

"I know, Tanya. It hurts to be gone for even a few days and I hate causing Esme and the others pain by being gone. I'll be going back, though."

"Oh? Did you find that bastard?" she asked, her voice low.

"No," I admitted, growling lightly to myself. "He went into the ocean."

I heard Tanya mutter a few curse words under her breath, as well as a few voices in the background saying similar things. I figured that the other Denalis were there with Tanya, listening into the conversation.

"Damn it. I'm sorry, Bella. We were too late, it seems," she sighed.

"It's alright. I appreciate you giving me the lead anyways. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Bella. You deserve the help. Would you like me to book you your flight back Forks for as soon as possible, then?" she asked.

I smiled, even if it was a small one. "I'd appreciate that, Tanya. I'll be there in about thirty minutes or so. I need to go clear my head and hunt first."

"Alright, I'll see you soon. Bye."

"Bye, Tanya."

Once she had hung up, I shut my phone off and stuffed it back into my pocket. I rubbed both of my temples, breathing in a few times to try and calm my nerves down a bit. The more that I'd thought about it, the more I realized how pissed off I was.

Edward. That bastard.

Even thinking of his name made me want to vomit and rip something into tiny pieces at the same time. I had been tracking him down for the twenty four hours, scouring every part of Denali that I could manage trying to find his wretched scent. Once I'd found it, I'd thought for sure that I'd had him because of how strong it was, but all it did was lead me in circles for half of the time.

That was one of the big issues with trying to track. It was hard unless the one tracking was naturally good at it, something that I had yet to achieve. I wasn't a horrible tracker, per say, and my senses were naturally very sharp, even for a normal vampire. That helped, yes, but I still struggled at times. Not only that, but I was easily thrown off trails because I always had to follow a scent exactly, something Edward knew about.

I wasn't just angry that he'd escaped me again, I was angry because I knew that he was probably laughing his ass off about it. He knew that I would come here chasing after him, so he probably just ran around to make things difficult for me, making me think I'd finally caught him. And that thought infuriated me the most.

My nostrils flared slightly when I picked up the scent of something nearby me. Food. I quietly crept towards the appealing smell and found a bear lumbering about, sniffing the ground in search of something to eat. It was too bad for the poor fuzz-ball that it would soon become my dinner, since the burn in my throat was far more pronounced now.

I didn't even bother having any fun with the animal, far too irritated to care, and lunged forwards, tackling the hairy beast to the ground effortlessly. The bear growled and tried to get out of my grasp, but I punched it in the face and knocked it out abruptly. Now that it wasn't moving around anymore, I pierced its throat and drained the bear of all its delicious blood, reveling the feeling of the warm liquid filling my body.

Once I'd drained the bear fully, I stood up and kicked the carcass aside, watching with slight amusement as it barreled into a nearby rock, creating a large indent. A part of me wondered if leaving that as it was would be a bad idea, but figured it didn't matter since no one really lived out here. Even if they did, what would it matter? I'd be long gone from here, anyways.

With my thirst quenched and most of my anger dissipated, I decided to pick up my pace as I sprinted through the snow, running towards the home of the Denali Coven. I was good friends with most of them and I enjoyed visiting them with my family whenever we went. They were, like myself, a vampire that fed on animals instead of humans, which made being around them much more bearable, especially for someone like me.

There were eight members of the Denali Coven altogether. Tanya Denali was the leader of the clan and the eldest at two hundred fifty seven years old. Then there were her sisters, Kate and Irina, both of whom were a few years younger than she was. The three of them had been created by the same vampire, Sasha, though she was long gone.

Then there was Carmen and Eleazar, two vampires who originated from Spain. They'd joined the Denalis about fifty years ago and fit right in with the family. And of course, each of the three main sisters had a mate of their own. Tanya had a dark skinned man named Laurent, who had lived in France before his transformation. Irina, the youngest in both age and body, had Garrett, a wanderer who had happened upon the coven twenty two years ago. Lastly, there was Kate, the one sister who did not have a male mate, instead having a feisty redhead named Amara.

They were all on friendly terms with my family, the Cullens, especially my parents, Tanya even going so far as to labeling them the "cousins" of my family. None of us minded, since they were all good friends of ours and they always helped us when we needed it. This, for example, was one such time when they'd helped me, even if it ultimately did not work out.

It didn't take me long to reach the Denali family's mansion, which, while nowhere near as grand and amazing as my family's, was a sight to see in its own right. I was greeted, as per usual, by the excited hug of Carmen, followed by Kate, then Amara, then Tanya. Eleazar, Garrett, Laurent and Irina all gave me a handshake as a greeting, which I didn't mind.

"We're sorry it didn't work out," Kate said, shaking her head.

"I know, you tried and I tried. That's what counts, I guess," I replied, shrugging my shoulders.

"What next, Bella?" Laurent asked curiously.

I ran a hand through my hair. "I drop it for now. School's going to be starting soon, so I shouldn't get distracted by it. Besides, if he does show up there, I've got a family full of people willing to help me tear him limb from limb, so it's no big deal. Thanks again, though. It means a lot that you told me in the first place. I hope I haven't been a bother."

"Nonsense!" Tanya shouted, waving her hand in the air. "You've been no trouble at all, my friend and we are more than happy to lend you a helping hand in your search."

"Thank you, Tanya. I mean it."

Tanya came over and wrapped me into another hug before handing me a sheet of paper.

"This is your flight time. It's today in about three hours. It was the earliest flight I could get you and it hardly cost a thing. Be sure to give your family our regards, as always. And do please come and visit us when you get a chance, preferably not on business the next time."

"I will, I will," I told her, smiling. "I promise that next time will be an actual visit, too."

"Good," Tanya replied, nodding to herself.

"You should go and find yourself a mate, Bella. It might make you happier," Irina mused.

I shrugged innocently. "I've been looking here and there. Still nothing yet, I'm afraid."

"Bah! You aren't looking hard enough!" Garrett snorted.

Eleazar chuckled and nodded. "He's right. You need to find yourself a good man, one that will be good to you and treat you the right way."

"Or you can find yourself the right woman," Kate interjected, shooting her mate a smile.

I blanched, slightly taken aback by the comment. Kate smirked and winked at me.

"She's right you know," Amara snickered.

The others all laughed or smiled, leaving me feeling awkward and uncertain. I decided not to respond and busied myself with memorizing the information written down on the sheet of paper in my hands, not that I would need to worry. Vampires always had good memories, after all.

I spent the remaining two and a half hours talking with the Denalis, mostly idle chit-chat about random topics. I made certain to avoid speaking about mates or anything to do with mates, since it wasn't the kind of topic I was comfortable approaching. Eventually I needed to get to the airport, though, so I was forced to end my conversations. I bid them goodbye and thanked them again before sprinting out the door towards the airport.

I hadn't brought any luggage with me since there was no need to, so it didn't take me long to get past the security checks that were deemed mandatory for all people to go through whenever they were at an airport. I didn't see a point to the security checks, since people often found a way to sneak things on board anyhow. Plus, I was a vampire for crying out loud. Why should I care?

That said, I ignored the constant stares that people shot at me. Most of them were bewildered gazes from men both young and old, clearly drawn to my attractive figure. I wasn't a vain individual per say, two of my sisters held that honor, but that didn't mean I didn't see myself as being good looking, not at all.

Besides, my name was Isabella, which meant beautiful in Italian. Just saying.

I have to say, I really do hate airplanes. Really, it's not so much the airplanes, but the airplane rides that I hated. There were so many damn things that I couldn't stand about them, things that would have annoyed me less if I were a human. Or would they have?

No, probably not.

Let's see…there's the smell, for one thing. Airplanes stink. Terribly. I don't know why it is, but they stink and it drives me _nuts_. Having an incredibly strong nose can be such a burden sometimes, I swear. Then there are the people on the airplanes that annoy me. The crying babies that never shut up, the incessantly chatty neighbors, the rude people who think they rule the world and that one damn old person who snores right behind you.

I hate it so much and yet here I am, forced to deal with it on the flight back home.

But the worst part? The sweat. Humans tend to sweat a lot naturally, and on an airplane in crowded quarters, there's more body heat and more sweat. The fact that I'm a vampire means that sweat smells good to me. Combine that with how good humans already smell and it's a wonder I don't go ripping through every person on board this plane.

Thankfully, my control was good enough to prevent that. It might be just barely, but it's enough to where I don't have to fear a potential bloodbath on my way home to the quiet, unexcitingly quaint town of Forks, Washington. Well, I'd be landing in Seattle, which was relatively close by, so it didn't matter too much.

That, of course, was the one upside to this while day; going back home where I would be with my family. Even though I hadn't been gone long, I missed being away from home, the warm hugs of my mother Esme, the loud ramblings of my siblings as we played video games, the quiet time that I spent talking with Rosalie.

I was close to every member of my family, Carlisle and Esme especially. They had saved me from death and taken me in as their child. Despite all the outbursts, all the problems I'd caused and all the times I'd slipped up, they'd never once yelled or scolded me or gave up on me. They showed me love that my human parents had never given me, taught me things I'd never known about and showed me a world beyond that of human comprehension.

I owed them more than just my life, I owed them my existence.

_I stared up into the golden eyes of the woman hovering above me, wondering what she meant by her question. At first, realizing what she and her husband were scared me. But the more I looked into her eyes, the more I felt eased. Her eyes were not like the eyes of the monster known as Edward Masen, but rather like the eyes of an angel._

"_I…I…" My voice was hoarse and weak, the pain caused from me trying to talk making it nearly impossible to do so, no matter how bad I wanted to._

_Esme stared down at me with sheer remorse. "I am so sorry this happened to you. Can you tell me your name, dear?"_

_I grimaced, unable to form the right words. Esme noticed this and looked utterly heartbroken before she turned to face her husband Carlisle._

_Carlisle showed the same look in his eyes as he glanced down at a clipboard near my bed._

"_Her name is Isabella Marie Swan. She's only seventeen years old…"_

_Esme gazed into Carlisle's eyes with determination and meaning. Carlisle looked uncertain for a moment, but at last he nodded his head. He moved so that he was standing at my right side, Esme to the left of me. They glanced once more at one another. Esme leaned down and touched my neck with cold yet gentle fingers._

"_Isabella, do you know what we are?" she asked in a soothing voice._

"_V-v-v…vamp…"_

"_Yes," she replied. "We can save you, Isabella. Do you want that?"_

_My vision was starting to fade, my heart weaken. Did I want to die? No. I didn't want to die. I wanted to live._

_I couldn't speak, but I nodded my head, holding Esme's eyes while I did. She nodded in understanding and smiled softly at me. Carlisle gently touched my shoulder. I turned to look at him, meeting his eyes as I had Esme's._

"_The pain you will feel will be unbearable, Isabella," he said sadly. "But it will be over much sooner than you think, I promise. Are you ready?"_

"_Y-yes," I stammered._

_They both nodded and leaned in as my vision started to grow foggier. I felt two sets of teeth biting into my neck and as my world started to turn black; I felt an incredibly painful burning sensation start to overtake me._

I snapped myself out of my reverie when I heard the loud speaker announce that the flight was nearing its destination. Another hour and I'd be back home, away from my thoughts of hunting that bastard and on to thoughts of more pleasant things.

As I stared silently out the window, I let my mind wander about, letting it drift into thinking about random things like when Rosalie would next go shopping or when Jasper would plan our next big hunting trip. I looked forward to both activities, especially the contests we would be having on the hunting trip. Those were always fun.

One thought that kept popping up and nagging at me was one of the things that I tried to ignore, though ignoring it never seemed to make it go away. It was a thought on something that I'd heard today from the Denalis. What Kate had said, about finding myself "the right woman". I don't know why that bothered me so much, but it did.

Truth be told, I was the only member of my family without someone to share eternity with. I was fine with that, though I secretly longed for a mate of my own. I'd never really put myself out there to find a mate. I'd looked in the past, but I'd never been able to find anyone suitable for my tastes, so eventually I just gave up on it. I knew that Carlisle and Esme would look from time to time when I didn't know about it, since they both wanted me to be happy.

Why did I keep thinking about what Kate said? Why was it that the words "the right woman" would not leave my brain?

I mean, I liked women, I suppose, but I…

I sighed, feeling a sense of longing swelling within me. I still couldn't stop thinking about finding my mate and how badly I truly wanted to. It depressed me whenever I thought about how lonely I really was, even with a supportive and loving family. There was always that one missing piece of me, the piece that I felt as though I'd never have in my life.

"Attention passengers, we are now descending. Please buckle yourselves up," ordered the voice of the pilot.

I rolled my eyes. Seatbelt? I didn't need a stinking seatbelt. I _did _need a shower, though. A really, really long shower to get the horrid stenches out of my hair. Ugh.

The plane slowly started its descent into the Seattle. That meant that I needed to clear my head of all troubling thoughts, otherwise I wouldn't stop thinking about things. I wanted to have a clear head when I got back to the house, because that always made things easier. Other than the fact that it was a pain to think about annoying things—I tried to stop, but when there was nothing else for me to do, my brain tended to wander—I also had a brother who could feel my emotions, which would eventually lead to one of his "talks".

Not that I didn't enjoy them, that is. I just didn't want to bother him with my trivial problems.

Minutes later the plane had landed and come to a complete stop. I speedily got up and, as fast as I could manage, shuffled towards the exit. I ignored the looks shot at me as I stuffed my hands into my pockets, silently cursing the person in front of me for moving so damn slow. I wanted out and I wanted out _now_.

Once I had escaped the confines of the plane, I breathed in the fresh air, happy that it was cloudy out today and not sunny. Without a look back I made my way out of the airport and away from the humans, making my own path as I found the large lake that separated Forks and Seattle. I glanced around several times, making sure there were no eyes watching me, before walking into the lake, welcoming the dampness and the fact that it would help wash me clean.

And for the final time this day, I pushed the word "mate" out of my head, knowing that I would be home very, very soon.

**A/N: And thus you have the first chapter of my next story. Consider this a teaser, if you will. I won't be updating this for a good while due to life and working on completing Blood Solstice, but once that's done, this will become my next main focus. ****Oh yes, one thing of importance: any Edward fans should avoid this story. Just saying.**

**What do you think so far? Do you like? All types of comments (except insults or derogatory stuff) are welcome here.**

**Final note, to all Amara fans, she's not gone yet. She's just with a different person in this story. You will have to wait and see what the new pairings are. :D**


	2. Homecoming

**Disclaimer: I take no claim for any of Meyer's characters or ideas. I do take claim for my own characters and ideas, which this story will be full of eventually.**

**Homecoming**

I rose from the lakebed into the forest that would eventually lead me to my house. A nice breeze blew overhead as I wrung my hair out as best I could. Out of curiosity, I idly sniffed myself and found that I was now cleansed of the horrid odors that had surrounded me while I was on the plane, which I was ultimately thankful for. Now I was stuck wearing damp clothing, however, which wasn't so bad since I couldn't get cold, I just hated having to wait for my clothes to dry.

I rather enjoyed being in the lake, actually. It was refreshing. Being a vampire, my body was naturally cold, so to me, a dip in a normally icy lake was like swimming in lukewarm water, which I often enjoyed. That was one of the advantages that I had, the word "cold" practically had no meaning to me. Even other vampires weren't cold—it'd suck if they were, let me say—but rather a very nice average temperature.

It was then that I realized that I had stupidly gone into water with my cell phone.

"Shit," I cursed, speedily pulling the device from my pocket. I glanced at it and flipped it open, pressing the green button to turn it on and praying that it still lived. I'd already gone through five cell phones in the past; please don't let this be number six.

One second. Two seconds. Nothing. The screen didn't turn on. Son of a bitch.

I snarled and crushed the tiny thing with my left hand, angered that I had ruined yet _another _cell phone. It was sad because I'd gone through so many in the past, ruining each of them by mistake each time. I'd get some teasing remarks from a certain brother of mine, I knew that much, but at least it hadn't cost too much money. Besides, I was distinctively aware that there was probably a new one waiting for me at home.

Home.

The homesickness I had been feeling came back and I instantly tossed the useless scrap metal in my hand to the ground, burying it before setting off. I didn't know the exact time since my phone was now dead, but by looking upwards at the sky, I could tell that it was early in the afternoon. I knew that Carlisle was likely at work, Esme most likely aiding him in some way. As for my siblings, I wasn't too sure who would be home and who would be out and about.

Altogether, there were nine of us in my family, myself included. This was considered an anomaly since generally covens consisted of two to three vampires each, sometimes maybe four, depending on the individuals. But the Denalis and my family, the Cullens, exceeded that number by doubling that number. My family was in fact the largest coven in all of North America, and more than likely the strongest too.

I had six siblings, three brothers and three sisters, all of whom I loved to pieces and who loved me back just as much. Each one of them had their own unique qualities that made them who they were, whether it was the goofiness of Emmett, the largest and strongest in the family or the calmness and politeness of Jasper, who always served as the go-to sibling for whenever one of us was having emotional problems, thanks to his gift.

While I was close to each of them, the one person I was closest to was Rosalie, my lovely, narcissistic, sexy-as-hell ice queen of a sister. The bond that Rosalie and I had with each other was deeper than best friends and siblings, bordering on the lines of soulmates (or soul-friends, as she called it, since Emmett was her soulmate).

It was odd, our relationship. We did things that normal sisters—then again, we weren't blood related and we were both far from being normal—would never do, whether it was kissing on the lips, something I did with all of my sisters, or cuddling with one another.

Yes, cuddling. I _cuddled_ with Rosalie. And let any person with something bad to say about that be damned, because I loved doing it and I knew that Rosalie did too.

We were extremely close, there was no denying that. She was the second of Carlisle and Esme's children and the second of the ones that they had changed themselves. Though she was turned two months after I was, she was a year older than me, and thus earned the right to be called the oldest sibling in our family. Because of that, Rosalie maintains that it is her responsibility to keep an eye on the rest of us as older sisters should, especially when it came to me.

No, it wasn't that I was the troublemaker of the family—Emmett and a certain redhead held those honors—but rather that Rosalie and I…well, like I said, our bond was intense. Not that she didn't love the others as much, that is, but the thing was that we had both gone through similar things in our human lives, things we often did not talk about.

Regardless, I decided to push away those thoughts since it would only be a few minutes until I reached my house, depending on how fast I chose to run. Since I was wearing damp clothes, running fast would be best in order to speed dry them.

Without another thought, I took off, running at a speed most would deem impossible. I smiled and let loose a brief laugh as I blurred past trees, whipping by so fast that I kicked up a shower of dust, rocks and leaves in my wake. If there was one thing I loved, it was the feeling of running, especially considering the fact that I was the fastest in the family.

Two minutes later I could already smell the array of sweet scents that belonged to the members of my family. I came to a complete stop and took a moment to breathe them all in, recognizing each of them instantly. With a smile, I followed the trail of aromas until I came into a clearing with an all too familiar white house at the center.

Okay, so it was more of a mansion than a normal house.

We were rich; there was no question of that. We were probably the richest family in Washington, maybe even one of the richest in all of America. Carlisle and Esme had saved most of the money they'd earned in their jobs over the years, plus there was the stock market and the money that Carlisle had already saved since before anyone else, Esme included, had been born.

Being over three hundred years old had its advantages. That, and the man rarely ever spent a dime on himself, bless his soul.

I sniffed the air and noticed that there was only one person in the house, the others likely out hunting, though I never knew with some of them. Casually I strolled over to the door and walked inside, shutting the door quietly behind me.

"It's about time you showed up."

I glanced at the couch to find my youngest sister sitting with one leg crossed over the other, silently reading a book.

I rolled my eyes. "Now is _that_ any way to greet your big sister?"

A small smile formed on her face as she closed the book she had been reading and set it down.

"That depends. Is my big sister happy to see _me_?" she asked, fluffing her light blonde hair and cocking her head to the side as she appraised me.

"I dare say that I am," I replied.

She stood up and walked over to me, holding my gaze as she did before stopping directly in front of me, narrowing her eyes as her small smile grew. I smiled at her and opened my arms and I instantly enveloped her in a tender hug, pulling her into me and resting my forehead against the top of her head. I breathed in her delicious scent of sweet cinnamon, smiling wider when I felt her nose brush against my collarbone and sniff it.

"I missed you, you big dork," she murmured, pulling away a little and giving me a big grin.

"I missed you too, you little demon," I replied, leaning down and giving her a soft kiss.

After another minute of hugging, I removed my arms from her. She winked and plopped back down on the couch, picking her book back up to read. I had to laugh at that.

How typical it was for Jane, my youngest sister, to act in such a way. She often acted nonchalant about most things, preferring to be seen as an aloof girl rather than the devious little demon that she truly was. I loved how evil she could be, yet how loving and sweet she was underneath it all, though it was rare for her to show that around anyone but family.

"So, any luck?" she inquired.

I grimaced and hung my head. "No."

Jane noticed this and gave me a remorseful look, blurring over to me once again and hugging me tighter this time, kissing my neck.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I shouldn't have brought it up," she said, her eyes showering me with sorrow and regret.

I smiled warmly at her and kissed her forehead. "Thanks, Jane, but there's no need. It's going to be brought up several more times today when the others get back, I know it. It's no big deal, I guess, I'm just pissed that the trail went cold. But speaking of which, where are the others at?"

Jane snorted and plopped back down, patting the spot next to her, which I gratefully took.

"Rose and Em are probably out having sex in the woods somewhere," she stated. I had to laugh at that, since that was definitely something they would do. "Jasper and Tori are both out hunting and my boy is with them. I hunted earlier today with mom, so I decided to catch up on my reading until they got back. But now that you're here…" She paused and shut her book, appraising me with curious eyes. "How was your trip?"

"It was alright, other than the huge letdown. Tanya and the Denalis were as kind as always, so there's no complaint there. Alaska is actually really nice this time of year, though there isn't enough snow for my taste. The worst part was the plane ride home."

Jane crinkled her nose. "Don't they just stink?"

I nodded. "God, yes. It was _awful_. That's why I loathe riding them. I wish I could just ride in an airplane by myself, you know?"

Jane laughed, the harmonic sound filling the room and lightening the mood.

"Oh, Bella, you are a card."

I playfully elbowed her. "Which card would I happen to be, dear Janie?"

"I wish you wouldn't call me that," she groaned.

"You know you love it when I do, _Janie_," I teased.

She was about to counter with a comeback when the door slammed open.

"Bella's back!" boomed Emmett.

I stuck my tongue out at Jane before standing and moving towards the front door where both Emmett and Rosalie stood. Emmet grinned and pulled me into one of his trademark giant bear hugs, which didn't hurt a bit considering the whole vampire fact. He twirled me in the air twice before gently sitting me back down and tousling my hair.

"Back so soon, eh? Why didn't you give us a call, we would've come and picked you up."

I ran my hand through my hair, using my fingers to comb it back into place.

"My phone…er, broke," I lied.

Emmett guffawed as he usually did, clearly amused by my answer. Jane quickly joined him and started chuckling from behind me and even Rosalie was snickering, though she was a bit more subtle about it. Speaking of Rosalie…

"Hey sexy," Rosalie greeted, coming over and planting her lips on mine.

I smiled against them and kissed her back once before pulling away. "Hey yourself," I replied.

"Dude," Emmett breathed, no longer laughing. "You guys should video tape that."

"No," we replied in unison. Emmett pouted and hung his head while Jane continued cracking up on the couch, clutching her sides for added effect. Rosalie and I looked at one another and rolled our eyes at the display, smiles tugging at our lips.

I wrapped my arms around my taller sister—seriously why the hell was she so damn tall? Not that I was short, that is—and pulled her close, Rosalie doing the same to me. I nuzzled into her left shoulder, breathing in her rich vanilla scent. Rosalie stroked my back with her left hand and held me tight with her right as we hugged. I loved it, this feeling that I got whenever I was with my sister, the feeling that I was and would always be safe. I got that feeling around all of my family members, especially Carlisle and Esme.

When we broke apart, Rosalie was appraising me with gentle eyes. She stroked my left cheek with her fingers and playfully tousled my hair, which I rolled my eyes at.

"Missed you, Bells," she said.

"Same here, sis. But I'm back now."

"It's crazy because you were only gone for a day, yet that was enough to make us all miss you dreadfully so. Jane even started to whine because you weren't around, didn't you Jane?" she asked, lifting an eyebrow at our younger sibling.

Jane scoffed. "I did no such thing."

"Liar!" Emmett laughed.

Jane shot him a glare, but that only made him laugh more. Her eyes narrowed intensely, her lips curling into a sinister smirk.

"Now, now, Jane," Rosalie warned. "None of that."

Jane's smirk dropped into a pout. "Aw, come on. Just a little bit? Please?"

Rosalie seemed to be considering it. Emmett stopped laughing abruptly and immediately ducked behind me, which looked odd considering the obvious size difference. Jane and Rosalie both laughed as I rolled my eyes, patting my brother on his head.

It was rare, but Jane did at times threaten to use her gift on some of us—mostly Emmett for obvious reasons—though in reality I knew that she never would, not even if her own life depended on it. Her gift was the ability to make someone feel an intense, burning pain throughout their entire body, just by looking at them. It wasn't real pain, though, but rather the illusion of pain, as Carlisle had once explained to us.

I didn't have a gift myself, at least not in the same sense as Jane. I was, however, the fastest vampire in the family and I had the best reflexes and senses.

"So, Bella," Emmett began, no longer trying to hide behind me. "How'd the hunt go?"

I sighed. "Not too well, Em. I lost the trail."

Rosalie gave me a meaningful look while Emmett scowled and shook his head.

"Damn. Well, at least you're back here safe and sound," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck.

I was about to respond to that when I caught a whiff of not one but three scents, one of them closer than the other two, smiling when I realized that my other three siblings were home from hunting. Emmett and Rosalie gave me a questioning look when I put my finger to my lips, signaling them to be silent. I pulled Emmett and Rosalie away from the door and crouched behind Emmett, waiting for the first of them to come through so I could surprise her.

Seconds later the door opened and I caught sight of red hair. With a sneer I jumped over Emmett and tackled my other sister down, pinning her arms to the floor.

"What the fu-Bella?" she squeaked in surprise.

I grinned and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "Hey Victoria, nice to see you again."

Victoria gaped at me for a moment before registering everything and glared at me.

"Hello yourself," she replied. "Perhaps you would be willing to get off of me so that I can give you a proper greeting?"

I did as she asked and jumped off of her, extending my hand to help her up. She rolled her eyes, but took my hand anyways. Once she was up, she took the initiative to dust herself off for dramatic effect, her red hair bobbing about as she did.

"So this is how you greet me? Jumping me?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.

I shrugged innocently. "It sounded like a good idea."

"Well on that note, smacking you sounds like a good idea," she countered playfully.

"Yeah, yeah, I missed you too."

She smiled and pulled me into a tender hug, which I happily mimicked. Peering over her shoulder I saw my other two brothers approaching, smiling when they saw me. After another minute of hugging—I'm a sucker for hugs, what can I say?—I pulled away from Victoria and smoothly brushed past her, embracing the first of my brothers, then the other one.

"Hey Jazz, hey Riley," I greeted each of them.

"It's good to see you're back," Jasper replied. "Esme missed you quite a bit."

"We all did," Riley corrected. "Especially Jane."

"Damn it, Riley, shut up!" Jane huffed, crossing her arms petulantly.

We all laughed at that as Jasper closed the door. All of us moved into the living room and re-situated ourselves so that we were comfortable. I sat down on the couch, Jane to my left, Rosalie to my right with Emmett next to her. Jasper, Victoria and Riley all sat down in three of the big chairs surrounding the room, though Riley and Victoria had to turn theirs around a bit.

I felt all of their eyes on me, curiosity plainly written on their faces.

"So what happened?" Jasper asked, moving his head to the side as he appraised me.

I ran a hand through my hair and started recounting my experience. I told them about how I'd found his scent after searching for a while and how I'd tracked it down and felt as though I'd come close, only for the scent to disappear into the ocean. I watched their facial expressions as I explained everything, noting the murderous look on Rosalie's face and the disdain showcased on the faces of the others.

They knew the full story. Everything that had happened between me and Edward all those years ago, back when I was human. I remembered it all as clearly as I could remember my life as a vampire, which wasn't something that I liked. I couldn't do anything about it, though. That was one of the downsides to being a vampire, having perfect memory.

At least, perfect memory of our life as a vampire from the moment we were able to think clearly. Remembering our lives as humans was actually a much more difficult process. In order to do that, we needed to actually want to remember, and even then it took some time before most of our human memories came back to us. That's how it was for Carlisle and Esme, anyways. I, on the other hand, was cursed with remembering most of my human life right off the bat.

I remembered the first day I'd ever met Edward, when he was, surprisingly enough, still human.

_I was young at the time, around six or seven, living in Chicago with my parents Charlie and Renee Swan. We'd moved to Chicago when I was three years old on my mother's insistence, since she had grown tired of living in Arizona. She chose Chicago as our next location, though neither Charlie nor I—when I was old enough to think clearly—knew why._

_On that day, I had been in the living room, playing with my most beloved keepsake, a teddy bear that I'd been given as a gift for my birthday from some people that my parents had befriended while in Chicago. The irony of who those people were would come back to me years later._

_I stopped when I heard the doorbell ring._

"_Coming!" called my mother, moving briskly to the door. Upon pulling it open, her eyes lit up._

"_Edward! Elizabeth! Good to see you both! And you brought your son along too, splendid!" my father boomed, walking over to stand next to his wife._

_I was curious, so I grabbed my bear and walked over to the door to see two people I didn't recognize standing in the doorway. One was a tall man with broad shoulders and dark brown hair, the other an elegantly dressed woman with long black hair. Standing next to the woman was a boy with bronze colored hair, his piercing green eyes wide the moment he saw me._

_I blushed and lowered my head, trying to look at something other than the boy in front of me. Yet for some reason I felt drawn to his eyes, which continued to bore into me with interest. It was obvious that he was a few years older than I was, two by the looks of it. _

_My attention was thankfully broken when I heard the man clear his throat._

"_Hello Charles, Renee," greeted the man._

"_Shucks, Edward. You know you can call me Charlie," my father laughed._

_The man smiled. "Ah, you have my apologies, Charlie. I forget that you prefer the informal name to most, which I have no problems with." _

"_Who might this be?" the woman asked, looking down at me._

_My mother touched my shoulder and pulled me forwards. "This is Isabella, our daughter. Say hello, Isabella. These are friends of ours."_

"_H-hello," I stammered, hesitantly curtsying to them both._

_The woman giggled. "She is such a darling little girl. Oh, yes. Edward, dear, come and say hello. These are the Swans, the people we mentioned to you about. They are our friends, so be polite and introduce yourself."_

_The bronze haired boy stepped forward and bowed. "Hello Mr. and Mrs. Swan, it is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Edward," he greeted. His eyes lingered on mine, causing me to blush and hide behind my mother._

"_He has quite the manners!" my father mused. "Our daughter could learn a thing or two from him, don't you agree, Isabella?"_

_I didn't respond and watched as Edward gave me a smile. There was something off about him and the way he smiled, but I didn't know what it was._

"_I do look forward to being friends with you, Isabella," Edward said in a soft voice._

_If only I'd known…_

I snapped out of my reverie when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to see Rosalie giving me a worried look.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, sorry about that. I was just…reminiscing."

Rosalie frowned and leaned in closer so that her lips were inches away from my ear.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked, quiet enough for only us to hear.

"Maybe later," I replied. "Right now, I just want to spend some time with the family."

She nodded in understanding and leaned back, wrapping one arm around Emmett's. I turned my attention back to the others, who had been talking amongst themselves. I missed most of their conversation, but it didn't involve me, so I didn't feel bad or anything.

"So has anything interesting happened here?" I asked once they'd finished.

Victoria scoffed in a playful manner. "You've been gone, what, a day? Do you honestly expect anything interesting to happen here in that amount of time? Or ever, for that matter? This is Forks we're talking about, Bella. It's _always_ boring here."

Riley cleared his throat. "Actually, I heard from Carlisle that the Brandon family's daughter just arrived in town yesterday after you left."

I furrowed my brow in confusion. "The who?"

"The Brandons," he replied. "You know them, right? They're our "biggest fans"."

I mentally smacked myself when I realized who it was he was referring to. The Brandons. Ugh.

Forks was a very small town, so it wasn't unnatural to know pretty much everyone in it. Even a family as secluded and illusive as mine knew nearly everyone, though that was mostly due to Carlisle and Esme. They were more people person-y then the rest of us were, though that had a lot to do with how comfortable around humans they were. They were "friends" —I say the term loosely—with most of the families in Forks. Low and behold, one of them "just so happened" to be the Brandons.

I disliked the Brandons. Hell, I _hated_ the Brandons. And I knew for a fact that my whole family felt the same way, even Carlisle and Esme, though they would never say anything concerning that to their faces.

The Brandons, Jeremy and Clara, were the kind of people who held themselves in high regards. They thought of themselves as being classy and sophisticated. Both of them had high paying jobs and were the kind of people that others would befriend merely because of their money, though whether or not they were aware of this, I wasn't sure. Both of them, Clara especially, were pompous and incredibly nosy, always trying to get into other people's business. Let's not forget the fact that they love to flaunt their money and social status.

Oh. The best thing about them? They pretty much hated my family.

There were several reasons behind their disdain towards us. For one thing, they were unimaginably jealous of our wealth, which made no sense because we rarely ever showcased how rich we truly were. I mean, the most expensive things that we have that the people of Forks are aware of are our cars. Is that really enough for them to be jealous about?

That wasn't just it, though.

They were incredibly against the fact that most of us were in relationships. They both found the idea absurd and lewd and were more than happy to let us know about it whenever we had the misfortune of running into them. I'd heard from Jasper that they had even gone so far as to mention that they thought that Carlisle and Esme adopting us was a bad idea. Why they came to that conclusion, I'll never know, but it only added for my hate for them.

Both of the Brandons were also incredibly nosy and were always asking questions. They didn't like the fact that our family was so elusive and believed that we had some kind of big secret to hide from everyone else. That was true, of course, but they kept trying to find it out, which I found irritating. If I had a dollar for the number of times when one of them had spotted one of us and tried to follow us home or just to see where we went or what we did, I'd be richer than I already was—and I get $10,000 for a monthly allowance, so that's saying something.

All in all, the Brandons were irritating people and I could not for the life of me understand why anyone would want to be friends with them. I wondered what sort of abomination this daughter of theirs would turn out to be. Oh Lord, I don't think I could take another one of them.

"I don't see how that's interesting," Jane snorted, interrupting my thought process.

Rosalie chuckled. "It's the talk of the town, Jane. Shouldn't we keep the tradition and gossip about it ourselves?"

"Tch. I don't see a point in gossiping. Besides, what does it matter to us?" Jane inquired.

"Well, we will be going to school with her," Riley pointed out.

The room was filled with five loud groans, myself included, at that statement.

We would be starting our junior year at Forks High School in a matter of days. That was not something any of us—with the possible exception of Riley and Jasper, who didn't seem to mind it too much—was looking forward to. It wasn't that I hated school in particular. I just hated most everything in school, like the teachers and the homework and the students…

And the fact that I'd already graduated high school, what, twenty times?

I had nothing against learning, but having to relearn the same damn stuff year after year got boring quite some time ago. It was a necessity, though, for us to go to school. We did that for the same reason that we went to the grocery store to buy food we'd never eat: to keep up with the appearance that we were a "normal" family and to avoid making people suspicious of us. That was why we were forced to keep repeating high school and why Carlisle and Esme worked.

Well, Carlisle would work regardless since he enjoyed his job. He was a doctor, which he loved because he enjoyed being able to help people. That was the kind of person he was. Esme oftentimes helped him by working as his nurse or assistant, though she also had part-time job selling furniture or paintings that she made.

They were both incredibly talented people and I believed that they deserved every bit of praise that they received. It was unfortunate that they could never do anything aside from the average job, especially considering how smart and skilled they were. Esme could probably open up a gallery and become famous worldwide, but because she was a vampire, that could never happen. Esme didn't seem to mind, though, because she enjoyed being able to work out of the house and be around her children, which I thought was sweet.

"So where's Esme at?" I inquired, though I knew what the answer would likely be.

Jasper answered. "She'll be home soon, actually. She went to run a few errands."

"What, we aren't good enough company?" Rosalie asked with mock hurt.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, you are, but I want to say hi to my mom. Is that a crime, Rose?"

As if on cue, the door opened and I was instantly pulled into a warm, loving hug. I settled into it without a word, smiling when I smelled the sweet, floral scent of my mother. Esme held me for a few minutes before pulling away, beaming at me.

"Hello, sweetheart," she greeted, kissing each of my cheeks.

"Hi mama," I replied sheepishly. I heard a few snickers, but ignored them.

Esme smiled lovingly at that before allowing me to sit back down, seating herself in a chair and pulling it close to me.

"So how was your trip honey? Did you see Tanya and her family? Ooh, how was the flight home?" she asked excitedly.

I giggled at my mother's enthusiasm before responding to her questions.

"My trip was alright, though ultimately unsuccessful. I did visit with Tanya and her family for a while when I first arrived and before I left. The flight to and from Alaska was horrid and I had to go into a lake to clean myself off, though I still need a shower. And, uh, my phone…died."

Esme nodded to each, her facial expressions changing from sorrow to happiness to amusement to her rolling her eyes and tsk-ing. She stood up and blurred up the stairs for a moment before blurring back down and holding something out to me. It was, big shock, a new cell phone.

I sighed and took it, giving her an appreciative smile. "Thanks, Esme. I'm sorry I keep breaking my phones, I really am."

Esme waved it off. "Oh, I know how your temper gets, so it's no big deal. Besides, I happen to know a few individuals who go through phones faster than you do," she giggled, shooting subtle glances at Jane, Victoria and Emmett.

"Hey!" Emmett whined. "It's not my fault, I swear! Rose keeps stealing them…"

Rosalie lightly smacked him on the shoulder. "Don't blame me, you big lug. You keep breaking them because you forget how strong you are."

Emmett grinned and pumped his fists dramatically while Esme shook her head and smiled.

"Anyways, I'm sorry that things didn't work out for you, but I'm glad you're back home. You've got school starting tomorrow anyways."

I blanched. "Wha…? I thought I had, like, a week!"

Esme gave me a quizzical look. "Dear, it's Sunday today. School begins on Monday. How on Earth did you forget that?"

"Uh…I blame Alaska?" I offered feebly.

Jasper and Jane snickered while Rosalie, Riley and Esme all rolled their eyes at me. We all sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes. I leaned back into the couch, dreading the fact that I was going to have to deal with school. I'd already gone to Forks High for one year and I had to say that I hated it with a passion.

The fact that I was single presented itself to every overly horny guy who, for some reason seemed to think that I was in need of a man by my side. Most of the boys who attempted to flirt with me were either too perverse, too annoying or their material was lame. And even if they had none of the above, human males did not interest me in the least bit.

Then again, the idea of a vampire and a human being together was relatively unfeasible.

Sighing quietly to myself, I decided to open up the box containing my new cell phone. I'd have to call the phone company to switch my previous number to this new phone and to activate the phone, but that could be done later. It wouldn't take too long anyways and I was content with just kicking back with my family for the time being.

Idly I glanced over at the wall, curious about the time. 3:42. Huh, time passes by quickly when you're sitting around doing next to nothing. Of course, time passes slower for vampires than it does for humans, so go figure.

I felt a tug on my right shoulder and turned to see Rosalie looking at me. She nodded her head at the door way, silently telling me that she wanted to talk. I nodded and, after tousling Jane's hair, stood up and followed after her, smiling at Esme one last time before walking outside and shutting the door behind me.

Rosalie and I both took off in a decent paced sprint into the forest by our house. I chose to follow her, even though I was naturally able to move much faster than she could. Truth be told, I had always been the type to follow Rosalie's lead. In my opinion she was smarter and she knew much more than I did, and because of the love and trust we shared I was more than happy following her lead in just about anything.

Eventually Rosalie came to a stop, turning to face me as I halted myself inches away. She went and sat down beneath a tree, beckoning me to come and sit with her. Without a second thought I plopped down in her lap, wrapping my arms around her and snuggling into her. I rested my head on her left shoulder and sighed when she started running her fingers through my hair.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked softly.

I hugged her tighter. "I guess," I murmured.

She nodded, silently continuing to run her fingers through my hair and massage my scalp.

I breathed in, then breathed out. "I'm just disappointed. Every time that I get close, it's never close enough. I…I don't know, Rose. It's like I want to find him, but at the same time I don't because I have no idea what the hell I'll do when I do. I've tried fighting him before, but with his gift it's near impossible, no matter how fast I move, he'll always be a step ahead of me. But then if I don't do anything, my memories just come back to haunt me."

"I don't know what to do anymore Rose. I've been at this for years and I haven't been able to do anything other than fail. The worst part is that I always hear his mocking laughter and see his twisted smirk whenever I close my eyes. I can't win one way or the other and it pisses me off. I can't keep going like this, Rose. It's getting to be too much for me to take."

Rosalie was silent for a moment, softly kissing my forehead and squeezing me tightly.

"I don't know what to say, Bells. I wish there was something I could do more than just give you words, I really do, but I honestly don't know what else I can do." She paused for a moment, her free hand tightening into a fist. "I hate it. I hate having someone I love so deeply hurt and there's not a damn thing I can_ do_ about it." She ground her teeth together in irritation as she spoke, the loathing evident in her eyes.

I squeezed her other hand and kissed her cheek. "I know, sis. But it means a lot that you're here for me and that alone is more than what you think. Plus, I have your love and the love of all the others and it means a lot to me."

Rosalie bit her lip and nodded. "You're right, I suppose. Just know that no matter what it is you face, Bella, you aren't alone. I won't let that piece of shit keep haunting you, I promise."

"Thanks, Rosalie. I love you."

"I love you too, little sister."

We sat in silence with one another for the rest of the day, enjoying the peace between us. As I sat with her, I stared up at the sky, watching the clouds pass by and the sun slowly descent, preparing myself for the dawn of a new day.

**A/N: D'aw, loving sister moments.**

**Before anyone asks, yes the pairings are Jasper/Victoria and Jane/Riley. Yes, Bella did indeed kiss her sisters on the lips (they aren't blood sisters, remember?). And yes, Rosalie and Bella did in fact cuddle. I thought it was cute and sweet, the kind of tender moment you don't normally see between Bella and Rosalie when they aren't an actual couple. That's one of the things I wanted to add to this, the depth in Bella's relationships with her family members.**

**Those of you expecting Alice, you'll have to wait for her to pop up. Right now, it's strictly Bella and her family. And more of Bella's backstory.**


	3. Sighting

**Disclaimer: I take no claim to the Twilight saga or its characters, only for my own ideas and any characters that I've made up.**

**Sighting**

The night was young when Rosalie and I finally broke apart from one another. I hugged her once more before standing up and stretching, even if I didn't really need to stretch at all. Rosalie laughed when she stood, brushing herself off.

"You know, it's kind of weird that two sisters cuddle with one another," she mused.

I shrugged. "It might be to some, but I love it."

She smiled. "Same here, little sis," she replied. "Oh, that reminds me. Carlisle is probably home now and I'm sure that he'd love to see you."

I nodded. "That's true; I missed him as much as I missed Esme. But first…" I paused and sniffed the air, breathing in the scents of the surrounding forest. In the distance I could smell blood and hear the beating of a heart, recognizing the scent as that of a herd of deer. "I think I'm going to go for a hunt, just to clear my head up a bit. You in?"

Rosalie considered that for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, sure, why not?"

"Race you?" I offered.

Rosalie smirked and took off before I even had a chance to start counting. I had to laugh at that, since she and I both knew that I would catch up easily. I took a moment to stretch my legs, again something that wasn't necessary, before speeding off after my blonde sister, smiling when I caught up relatively quickly.

The scents of the deer got closer as we both picked up speed, eventually coming across a herd of five deer; three does and two males. I instantly went for one of the males, the poor creature turning far too late to see me lunge for it. I opened my mouth and sank my teeth into the side of the deer's neck, slamming it into the ground as its blood started pouring into my mouth. I relished the sweet nectar that started flowing into me as I heard Rosalie nail her meal.

A minute later the deer was fully drained and dead. I was still thirsty, though, so I decided to have some fun and chase after one of the other deer. I caught sight of a doe that had sprinted off the second we had entered their area and smirked. I glanced at Rosalie to see her busy taking down another deer, so I decided not to bother her and took off after the doe.

I wanted to have some fun with this, so I chose not to run at full speed, instead running just fast enough to where I was in sync with the doe's movements. I had to admit, listening to the poor creature's heart pound away in its chest like a rabid bongo drum was amusing.

If there was one thing I enjoyed, it was the thrill of the hunt.

Maybe it was cruel of me to think that way, but I enjoyed the rush I got whenever I hunted. Not to mention the fact that I loved a good challenge whenever I hunted, like whenever I woke up a grizzly bear during hibernation season, something Emmett enjoyed to do, or when I raced with a lion. Those were the kind of things I liked. But what I liked most was the fact that when I hunted, I could give myself over to the monster within without having to fear anything.

I kept in step with the frightened doe, following it whenever it tried to go in a different direction and making sure that it didn't go where I didn't want it to. The moonlight shone down upon me as I continued my hunt, the light causing my skin to emanate a light, eerie glow.

My nose was suddenly bombarded with unfamiliar scents, jarring me from my thoughts. I looked around and saw that I was nearing civilization. Cursing myself for not paying attention, I quickly assaulted the deer, pinning the creature to the ground and sinking my teeth into it, draining its blood as quickly as I could. Once it had been drained, I picked up the carcass and threw it behind a nearby rock, not wanting anyone to see it out in the open.

"Too close," I breathed, running my hand through my hair.

With a sigh, I paused and glanced up at the sky. The moon hung in the sky rather nicely, surrounded by hundreds of stars. The sight was beautiful and serene, easing me despite how dangerously close I'd gotten to the humans. That was a big no-no for my family. We couldn't expose ourselves to humans, and hunting while near human homes was a very bad idea.

I looked down at my body as the moonlight shone upon me, marveling at the effect it had on my skin and how it caused it to glow. It wasn't a very noticeable glow, not like when the sun was out. Our skin glowed intensely whenever it was exposed to sunlight, making it appear as though the "light of Heaven itself was shining down upon us" as Esme had once put it. That was why we could never be seen when the sun was around, why we lied and said that we went backpacking or hiking or camping. Not that we never did those things, of course.

Suddenly, I tensed and froze in place. My nose picked up a scent that I'd never smelled before. I didn't recognize the particular flavor, but I knew right away what the source was. Human. At first, I became worried, fearing that a human had seen me hunt. However, the scent was too far away to have seen me, so I relaxed. It was drawing closer, though, which confused me. Why would a human be out this late at night in the middle of the forest?

Letting my curiosity get the better of me, I subtly started to move towards the scent, keeping low and in the shadows as I did. As I neared the scent, I could hear the beating of a single heart. It was slow and rhythmic, completely average for a human. But the scent was…intoxicating.

This was the kind of scent that some vampires would go insane around were they to smell it. It made me glad that my control was at least good enough to fight off that sort of thing, even though stronger smelling humans still made me uncomfortable. A gust of wind blew overheard, practically whipping the scent in my face. My nostrils flared as I gulped, thankful that I'd hunted enough to satisfy my thirst, both before and after coming to Forks.

I neared the source of the scent, silently moving up a tree so as to avoid being seen. Then I waited, knowing that the source was coming closer to where I was. A moment later, I saw. It was a girl, one that I didn't recognize. I couldn't see much of her since she was wearing a jacket with her hood up, but I knew by the body structure that it was a female.

I watched her as she moved rather gracefully—for a human, anyways—around the trees and rocks, wondering why she was out here. She came to a complete stop a few feet away from the tree that I was in, her head moving around and her heartbeat picking up slightly. I cocked my head to the side, confused. What the hell was this girl doing out here in the middle of nowhere?

I watched as she moved closer to the tree, then past it. My eyes followed her, still curious as to what it was she was doing. The girl stopped once again, moving her head about as though she were looking for something. What, though? It didn't make any sense to me, and that very fact was surprisingly more annoying then I'd originally thought.

Her head suddenly stopped moving and snapped upwards. I nearly gasped and straightened myself out, hiding in the shadows of the tree to prevent her from seeing me. I could feel her heart racing as her eyes scanned the trees. She did this for about a minute before sighing and hanging her head. I peered downwards at the girl and saw that she was shaking slightly.

"So close," she whispered softly to herself.

So close? So close to what?

I found myself leaning downwards, my eyes appraising this confusing girl. Her scent was emanating off of her like an aura, tickling my nose with its strength and uniqueness. I breathed it in quietly and found that, closer up, it smelled a lot like chocolate. Sweet, rich chocolate.

Delicious…

Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder, which caused me to spin around. I nearly snarled out of reflex, but a soft hand cupped my mouth and I was soon being pulled into someone's arms, away from the sweet smelling girl.

Instinctively, my body started writhing around as I let out a low, rumbling growl. I tried to fight my way out of the arms that held me, wanting nothing more than to return to the human for reasons I couldn't quite understand. Struggling did nothing; however, as the arms remained firmly around me as they pulled me in the opposite direction. My nostrils flared and I smelled a very strong, familiar scent. The scent was stronger than the human's and it not only filled my nostrils, but I felt as though it were wrapping around me.

Slowly my mind became less foggy and my instincts died down, giving me the chance to breathe in the vanilla scent. That's when my brain was able to put two and two together and I stopped fighting abruptly, realizing that it was Rosalie's arms that were around me. I whimpered when I realized my mistake and wrapped my arms around her, hugging her. Rosalie noticed this and stopped moving, setting me down on the ground.

I bit my lip before looking up at her with sheepish eyes, hoping she wasn't upset with me.

"What the hell were you doing?" Rosalie asked. Her tone was neither angry nor scornful, but rather gentle and full of concern.

"I…I don't…" I trailed off, shaking my head. "I'm not sure."

Rosalie sighed and crouched down, cupping my cheeks and looking into my eyes.

"Bella, you looked like you were about to kill that girl," she said softly.

I blanched. "N-no, I wasn't Rose, honestly. I was just….sort of, I dunno, drawn to her."

Rosalie cocked her head to the side, her blonde locks bobbing. "You were drawn to her?"

"Her smell," I explained. "It drew me in. Not just that, but I was curious about why she was out there to begin with. She acted like she was looking for something…"

She sighed. "Bella, come on now, you know better. What were you doing all the way out here anyways? Last time I saw you, you had just finished that deer, but the next second you're gone."

"I, uh, chased after a deer that ran off. Figured it could be a bit fun, but then I realized that I was too close to humans, so I finished it off. I was about to come back when I smelled that girl's scent and, well, you know the rest," I explained, rubbing my neck.

"So why did you try attacking me?" she asked, lifting an eyebrow.

I grimaced. "That was an accident, I swear. I'm sorry Rose, my instincts told me that you were an enemy and I got scared because…"

Rosalie's eyes widened and she pulled me into a hug, kissing my neck. "I'm sorry, Bells. I shouldn't have approached you that way. I got worried when I saw that look in your eyes, so I did what I thought was best and-"

I interrupted her by lifting a hand up, looking at her quizzically. "What do you mean? What look in my eyes?"

Rosalie's lips twitched before curving into a small smile. "I'll tell you later. Right now, we should probably be getting home before Esme gets worried that we ran off again."

I furrowed my brow at her lack of an answer, but shrugged it off. Like she said, she'd tell me later, I knew she would. And she was right, it would be best for us to return home, lest we want to get Esme upset by thinking we'd left without saying anything. Plus, I knew that Carlisle was likely home and I wanted to greet him, yet another reason to get going. That and the fact that I wanted to stop thinking about what I'd _almost_ done to that human.

Maybe I should bring it up with Carlisle?

Hmm…

I felt a finger tap my shoulder. Rosalie was standing and waiting patiently for me.

"Are you coming or what?" she asked.

I gave her a smile and stood, brushing myself off. "I think it's more of an "or what"," I replied.

She rolled her eyes. "You are so weird, Bella."

"You know you love me," I said, playfully swatting her behind.

"True."

The two of us sped off into the woods together, running back towards our house. One thing that struck me as odd was the feeling that we were being watched, but that feeling dispelled once we were back into the forest. I silently shrugged it off since it was probably just an animal. There was no way that human could have seen us since she was likely gone.

We arrived back home a minute and a half later, slowing our pace as we neared the door. I smelled everyone inside, including Carlisle, which brought a grin to my face. Rosalie walked inside first, me a click behind her.

Everyone was on the lower floor entertaining themselves. Emmett, Jasper, Victoria and Jane were playing a video game, a popular game with futuristic guns and explosions called Halo 3. I had played it before and found it enjoyable, actually. Video games were one of the few things in this decade that I thoroughly enjoyed, and all of my siblings, even Rosalie, were right there with me. I'd even seen Esme playing it a few times, though she tried to do so in secrecy. Meanwhile, Esme and Riley were busy playing a game of pool, which Esme seemed to be winning.

"Hello, Bella," greeted Carlisle, who was watching his wife and son play their game of pool.

"Hi Carlisle," I replied, blurring over and hugging him. He smiled warmly at me and hugged me back for a moment before I pulled away, smiling.

"_There_ you two are," Emmett crooned from the couch as his character died. "Damn it!"

"Ha! Sucker!" Victoria laughed.

"We were starting to wonder where you'd run off to," Riley mused as he pocketed a ball.

Rosalie snorted. "We went to talk and then went to hunt. Honestly, what else would we be doing out in the woods in the middle of the night?"

"Making out?" Emmett asked, peering over his shoulder at us.

Rosalie and I glanced at one another, similar smirks forming on our faces. She strutted over to me and leaned forward, capturing my lips in a soft kiss. It wasn't a romantic kiss, but more of a tender, sisterly kiss. Emmett, of course, didn't care either way since he found it insatiably hot. I snickered at Emmett's facial expression when Rosalie broke away, seductively licking her lips at me for added effect.

"Why can't you guys videotape that?" Emmett whined. Victoria and Jane both smacked him on the back of the head in unison. "Ow! What was that for?"

"Being an idiot," Jane replied.

Rosalie lightly poked my stomach and walked over to the couch, lifting Jane into the air before setting her back down on her lap. Jane snuggled into Rosalie's lap, smirking at the disdainful pout on Emmett's face as his character got massacred by Jasper and Victoria.

I heard Carlisle quietly clear his throat and turned to look at him.

"Bella, may I have a word with you?" he asked.

"Of course, Carlisle," I replied.

Carlisle smiled and the two of us walked up the stairs while the others continued their games. I followed Carlisle down the long hallway to where his office was. There were eight doors altogether, ten different rooms. Each of the couples shared a room, Rosalie and Emmett's the room closest to the stairs while Carlisle and Esme's was the furthest. I had a room all to myself, which I was fine with. There was also Carlisle's office, Esme's work room and lastly the bathroom, which was only used for the shower.

Carlisle's office was a very tranquil place. He often spent his time reading or researching usually, but it was also used whenever Carlisle wanted to speak with one of us in person. The walls and the door were soundproof so that he could speak with us in private.

He pulled a chair up for me to sit in before seating himself behind his desk, clasping his hands together as he appraised me thoughtfully.

"Esme tells me that your search was to no avail," he said.

I sat down and nodded. "Yes. I got on the trail, but it stopped at the ocean."

"I see. And this bothers you."

I nodded again. "Yeah, it does. It just feels like every time I get close, he somehow slips away."

"Do you know what you would do were you to find him, Bella?" Carlisle asked.

I grimaced, remembering what I'd told Rosalie.

The truth of the matter was, I didn't know. I was so full of rage and hate whenever I thought of him and everything he's put me through. I knew that I wouldn't be able to stay calm were I to run into him and I would likely charge headfirst to try and kill him. And all he would do is move to dodge my attack and mock me, getting me more riled up.

I knew this because it had happened before. Twice.

I'd found him and attacked him, trying as hard as I could to kill him. All I ended up doing was failing miserably and looking like an utter fool in the process. Edward knew my weaknesses. He knew how to press my buttons and make me lose control, and he knew how to make me feel like garbage while doing it. He had, in the past, been the cause of several of my slip-ups, which I wasn't proud to admit. He had also made several attempts to make me slip-up, but I'd been fast or smart enough to avoid letting him succeed.

I recalled the last time I'd seen him, the day that I'd been forced to do the one thing I'd been able to avoid doing my entire life: expose myself. It was eleven years ago, back when we were staying in a small town in Mississippi, when I'd found him. Or rather, he found me that time.

_I was out on my own, wandering about with nothing to do. It was mid-afternoon at the time and the weather was nice. It was cloudy out and, while the sun threatened to peer through, it thankfully never did, thus I was able to walk about without fear._

_The sidewalks were relatively vacant. I'd pass a few people here and there, most of them shooting glances at me as I walked by. I'd been approached on several occasions by several men who deemed themselves worthy enough to try and flirt with me, but I shot each one of them down as kindly as I could manage. _

_I turned down a street that looked vacant, blasting my iPod in my ears without a care in the world. That was when my nostrils were hit by a familiar scent and I froze in place, turning my music off and looking around warily. _

_It was Edward's scent. He was there._

_I let out a guttural snarl, trying to find his location, but to no avail. _

_Then I heard a noise. It was…humming?_

_Confused, I turned my attention of the humming and saw it was a little girl. She had short brown hair and looked to be around seven or so. She was a tiny thing but looked to be happy skipping along, humming to herself._

_I watched the girl, finding myself entranced by her. Her scent hit me soon after and I found it to be very sweet smelling, the flavor of which was oddly familiar to me, despite how new it was. I watched her stop her skipping as she looked around, her eyes looking at the street. Then, without hesitating she started to skip across the street._

_The girl accidentally tripped and fell onto the concrete road, whimpering in pain. A part of me panged with remorse, but before I could act, the clouds parted and the street was bathed in sunlight, much to my dismay. I was glad, though, when the girl looked to be alright, saved for a bruise I noticed on her right knee._

_My relief turned into horror when I heard a car coming. And it was coming fast._

_I spun around, hoping to maybe slow the car down by waving at it. Then I froze._

_Edward. Edward was the one behind the wheel._

_I watched his red eyes look at me, a twisted smile forming on his cruel face as he sped up. That was when I realized what he was going to do. He was going to run the girl over, causing her blood to fly everywhere and me to lose control._

_No._

_No, I couldn't let that happen! She was a child for God's sakes! No!_

_I turned, looking at the child. She was so young, so innocent. My dead heart ached and rage overtook me, the urge to go and rip Edward into pieces becoming my primary desire. But I couldn't, __**wouldn't**__, let that girl die. Because for reasons I couldn't understand, I felt the overwhelming need to protect her, a need that surpassed my rage._

_Without stopping to think about it, I ran towards the girl, moving as fast as I could and scooping the girl in my arms. Then I jumped out of the way as the car drove by, the sound of Edward's raucous laughter filling the air as it disappeared down the street. _

_Inches. That's how close Edward had come to ending this child's life. _

_I nearly ran after him, but a quiet gasp and the increased speed of a heartbeat broke me from my thoughts, causing me to look down at the girl in my arms. She was staring at me with wide, crystal blue eyes, shock and awe plainly written on her youthful face. _

_Then I saw what she was looking at. I was standing in the sun._

_My entire body was glowing, my pale skin reflecting the light from the sun. I cursed the sun for being against me and myself for not thinking this through, but I had no choice. Frantically I had to figure out what to do, how to escape this situation. The girl just gaped at me, her mouth hanging open and her eyes twinkling with emotions I didn't have the time to register._

_So I did the only thing I could think of. I turned the girl around so that she wasn't facing me and set her down. Then I ran. I ran as fast as I could away, not looking back and not looking around to see if there were other humans. I couldn't smell anyone else, so I figured that I was in the clear in that sense. As I ran away, though, I felt the urge to go back, but I ignored it._

_I silently damned Edward, vowing to one day end his wretched existence. At the same time, though, my mind was ablaze with questions and concerns. _

_Had I just doomed myself by going into the sunlight to save a child I didn't know? Granted, she looked young, so I may have saved myself with that. Still, what if she told other people that she'd been saved by a glowing girl? Wouldn't that spread?_

_Why did I feel such a strange need to protect her? I mean, yes, she was a little child and I would have to be a heartless monster like Edward to not care that she could have been killed. But I had felt an incredible desire to make sure that she wasn't hurt or killed, one that was incredibly strong, to the point where I felt the need to run back to her._

_Would I ever see her again?_

_Wait. What?_

_I growled to myself and pushed away those thoughts. That made no sense. Why would I care if I saw a human again? I shouldn't care, plain and simple. As I ran, I knew one thing. I didn't want to tell the others about this, at least not yet. I'd already been the cause of us moving on several occasions, I didn't want to be the reason again._

Something in the back of my mind was yelling at me as I disengaged myself from my memories, making me feel like I was forgetting something important. Confused, I tried to think about it, but my thoughts were interrupted by a soft voice saying my name.

"Bella?"

I blinked and remembered that I was still sitting with Carlisle. He was appraising me with curious eyes, clearly wondering where my head was at. Feeling a little embarrassed, I bowed my head sheepishly and gave him an apologetic look.

"Sorry. I was…remembering something," I murmured.

He nodded in understanding. "Did it have to do with him?"

I couldn't lie to Carlisle. There was no plausible way for me to do that. The fact was that I hadn't told either him or Esme about what had happened that day. I was ashamed that I'd exposed myself and that I'd let Edward get away, not to mention worried about what sort of consequence it had brought on. I wondered what had become of the girl that I'd saved, too, though I tried to eliminate any thoughts I had about her. There was no need to think of such things, after all.

"Yes," I replied. "It was…my last encounter with him."

Carlisle looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully, pursing his lips momentarily.

"Bella, I understand that you seek vengeance for what happened to you. I feel that justice should be done for the cruel and abhorrent things he has done to you, but I feel that your incessant chasing of him is not healthy. You've come far in your recovery from when you first awakened as a vampire, that much is true, but there is still a lot that must be done. The thing is, you need to be willing to accept what has happened and put it behind you in order to heal yourself, otherwise you will be forever haunted by your past."

I hung my head, knowing that his words were true. Carlisle stood and moved over to me, placing both of his hands on my shoulders. I looked up into his golden eyes, the warmth and love emanating from them easing me as they always did.

"You are my daughter, Bella. I love you, Esme loves you and your siblings all love you, you know that. We want what is best for you and we want you to be free from your past. I know that it's difficult for you to let go. If you try, though, I'm sure it will become easier. Just know that we will always be here for you, no matter what the situation is. We want you to be happy. That is what is most important to us at this time. Just remember that."

I choked back tears that wouldn't fall and nodded my head, standing to hug my father.

"T-thank you, Carlisle," I murmured into his shoulder.

He rubbed my back until I pulled away from him. "That reminds me, Esme has something to tell you when you go back downstairs."

I smiled appreciatively at him and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you. I'll go see her now."

With that, I walked at a steady pace downstairs, taking his words to heart. When I got downstairs, I walked over to the pool table. Riley was now the one winning, only two balls left to pocket before he could go after the eight ball. Esme had three and looked downright determined to even things out. She didn't seem like it, but Esme had quite the competitive side. That, of course, made it highly entertaining to watch her whenever she played a game of any kind.

Esme lined up a shot and took it, narrowly getting the ball she had wanted into the corner. She smiled at that and aimed for her second shot, but upon seeing me, she accidentally undershot and missed in getting the ball in. Riley casually chuckled as Esme scowled before walking over to me and giving me a warm smile.

"You made me miss," she teased.

I shrugged, grinning at her. "Sorry about that. It was an accident."

"Oh? How do I know that my daughter is trying to sabotage my pool game?" she inquired, lifting a caramel colored eyebrow.

I cocked my head to the side. "Now why on Earth would I do that?"

Riley chuckled again as he lined up his next shot, hitting the ball spot on and getting it in the side pocket, much to Esme's dismay. He went to position his pool cue to get his last ball on, but just as he went for the shot, Esme nonchalantly kicked the bottom of the table, causing his ball to miss altogether. Riley frowned at that, clearly thinking he had messed up. Esme winked at me before reaching into her pocket and pulling out my new cell phone.

"Here you are, dear. I called the phone company and transferred all of your numbers to this and activated it for you too. That way, you don't have to worry about it. Oh, but do try to not break or lose this one, please?" she asked, a hint of mirth in her eyes.

I groaned. "Yes, mom, I'll try not to. And it's not like I mean to break them, it just happens sometimes. I can't help if cell phones aren't vampire proof. In fact, they really should make vampire proof cell phones," I snorted.

"Ooh, and vampire proof car doors," Emmett added.

"Clothing, too," Victoria grumbled. "I hate having to throw old clothes away."

I rolled my eyes at both comments. "Em, you should know better than to not estimate your strength and Tori…" I paused for a moment and laughed. "You need to stop jumping Jasper so much, then maybe your outfits will survive longer."

Victoria snorted. "It's not my fault I'm too sexy for my own good."

"That you are, darlin'," Jasper agreed with a chuckle.

Jane groaned loudly. "Will you quit it with that stupid drawl, Jasper? It's so _annoying_."

"And let's not forget who the sexiest in this house is, hm, Victoria?" Rosalie stated.

"That would be me," Esme interjected with a sly smirk. "And don't you forget it."

No one chose to respond to that, Rosalie and Victoria quieting down near instantly. Esme giggled to herself as she lined up for her next shot, easily making it. Now she just had the eight ball to make and she would win the game. I coughed the word "cheater" under my breath as she went to strike her ball, causing her to giggle and miss. Riley smirked and speedily hit his final ball in, giving him the chance to win.

"Eight ball, corner pocket," Riley crooned.

With one brisk movement, he made the shot with relative ease. Esme grumbled under her breath and shot me a glare for a few good seconds, but I could easily see the humor and warmth in her eyes, so I didn't let it affect me too much.

"Thanks for the help with the phone, Esme," I snickered.

Esme harrumphed and set her pool cue down. "Thanks for costing me the game, Bella."

I laughed at that and ran towards the others, sitting down in one of the big chairs and turning to watch my siblings play their game. Emmett seemed to be faring much better at this point, though Victoria was still beating him. Jane and Jasper were both trying to one-up one another while Emmett looked like he was trying to take everybody else out at once.

"Die, die, die!" Emmett shouted gleefully, his character letting out a spray of bullets.

"How about no?" Jane sneered.

"What the…no!" Emmett shouted. It was too late, since his character died seconds later. "Aw, man, not again."

"Geez, you really stink at this game, Em," Victoria laughed.

"Shut up!" Emmett whined, crossing his arms petulantly as he threw his controller down.

"Emmett, don't you dare break that control!" Esme warned.

Emmett grimaced and quickly picked up the controller, looking it over to make sure that it was still working correctly. Seeing that it was fine, he let out a brisk sigh of relief and set the controller down gently on the table, peering over his shoulder worriedly to make certain that Esme wasn't watching him, which she wasn't.

I smiled contently and leaned into the chair, loving the atmosphere that came from having so many quirky siblings. As I settled into the peacefulness, I remembered that I had forgotten to mention what had happened in the forest to Carlisle. Thinking about it, I decided I'd save it for another time, since right now I just wanted to relax and not think too much, especially since school would be starting in a few hours.

I certainly did _not_ look forward to that. Another year at Forks High surrounded by loud, incredibly annoying and overly jealous, gossip girls, boring teachers who gave out far too much homework and horny guys who thought they had a chance with me because I was single. I knew that I'd be getting at least ten or so guys who would try and ask me out, some of them subtle, others more obtrusive. I'd just turn them all down anyways.

The more I thought about it, though, the more it bothered me. There was something about that human that struck me as familiar, but I couldn't place my finger on it. I knew that I didn't recognize her voice and her smell was far too intoxicating for me to forget, so it was odd that my brain was telling me otherwise.

Who was that girl, anyways? What had she been looking for? Why did she smell the way she smelled to me?

I felt a wave of calm overtake me and noticed that Jasper was appraising me with concerned eyes. I gave him a reassuring smile and waved it off before returning my attention to the sounds of gunshots and explosions on the television.

I didn't understand any of the questions floating in my head, but I did understand one thing. I was glad to be back home in Forks with my family, even if I wasn't glad that I'd be stuck in Hell for the next six and a half hours. I only had a few hours of peace and relaxation left before I'd have to put on the façade that I was still a human.

Still…

Who the _hell_ was that girl?

**A/N: I don't know, who do YOU think it was? :P**

**Ahem. So, I apologize to those of you who were hoping for a speedy update. I have no excuses, I just haven't felt like updating because I've been busy working on other chapters and dealing with school. The truth about school is that there's only one and a half classes (makes no sense, but it's me) that matter to me. The other one and a half aren't of much consequence, but I still have to do stuff for em. Aside from that, there's also been some personal stuff going on at the home, which has also kind of hindered my progress a bit. Rest assured, I'm still working on my chapters, maybe even tinkering around with new story ideas. I only request that you remain patient with me.**

**Now then, aside from all that, I am going to (shamelessly) plug a few things here. Number one, the BloodSolstice Youtube account, which has the soundtrack to that story (Broken Aurora will have one in the future, I promise) and its own trailer, made by the lovely and talented Kyraaah1992 (I'm a flatterer, I know :P). The link is on my profile or you can just type in "Blood Solstice Trailer" in the search bar. **

**I can't say when the next update will be for this story, but it won't be too long. So until next time, peace. **


	4. Forks High

**Disclaimer: I take no claim to the Twilight saga, only for my own characters and ideas. And I guess for the plot too. That counts with ideas, right? Right.**

**Forks High**

"Bella, it's time to go get ready for school!" Esme sang from downstairs.

I was upstairs in my room, sitting rather peaceably on my bed—which I didn't truly need, but had anyways for my own personal reasons—and looking over my new cell phone, making sure that everything had been transferred over. By the looks of it, everything was, even the wallpaper that I'd chosen, which made me relatively pleased. I was not pleased, however, that I was being forced to go to school today.

Because I've said it before and I'll say it again; I. Hate. High School. _Especially_ Forks High.

It was sad that someone my age was still being forced to attend high school once again. In fact, I saw it as a bit of an insult. Then again, I guess it was kind of entertaining to think of the gigantic difference in age that my siblings and I had over the other students and the teachers too.

To them, I was Bella Cullen, the angst-ridden seventeen year old adopted daughter of Dr. Cullen and his wife. In reality, however, I was a ninety four year old vampire born as Isabella Marie Swan and turned in Chicago on January eighteenth of the year 1933, the first of Esme and Carlisle's seven vampire "children", five of whom they created themselves.

That very reason was why I had to go to school, so that people would not grow suspicious of the pale skinned family that never appeared when the sun was out.

I groaned, more to myself than out loud, and turned my cell phone off before begrudgingly getting off my bed in order to go and take a shower. I didn't need a shower per say, but I found the running water to be calming, which, considering the stress I'd be enduring today, would be incredibly helpful for my nerves.

Quietly I slipped into the bathroom and disrobed before entering the shower. I sighed and turned the water on, waiting for the water to warm up before beginning to wash myself. The feeling of having hot water pour onto naturally cold skin was an odd one, which wasn't surprising since it was always odd whenever we came into contact with something hot.

I spent about a minute washing myself, but around five or so minutes altogether in the shower, standing there and letting the comforting warmth soak in. Once I'd decided that it was enough, I stepped out, speedily dried my body and my hair and sped into my room in order to change into some new clothes. There was nothing wrong with the outfit I had been wearing, but it wasn't as clean as I would have liked. Besides, Rosalie would have made me change into something else anyways, since she oftentimes acted as the fashion police of the family.

I had no problem going shopping with her or trying on clothes with her or that she bought me clothes; I enjoyed all of that. But there were times when my older sister got on my nerves with her demand that I "present myself" better. She would always ask to do my hair or help pick out the clothes that wore and my makeup, too. This also didn't bother me, but again, she had a knack for wanting to do it incessantly. I was thankful that she enjoyed doing this more so to Jane and Victoria than she did to me. Very, very thankful.

I put on a pair of designer blue jeans, which Rosalie bought, a gray short sleeved tank top, a black short sleeved jacket, also bought by Rosalie and a necklace that Jane had gotten me. For the final article of clothing, I donned my version of the Cullen family crest, a silver necklace. It had been given to me by Carlisle and Esme on my birthday several years after they had changed me and was something that I always wore, both because I loved it and because it showed my pride in being a member of this family.

I lightly ran my fingers through my hair for a moment, then snatched my cell phone and sauntered downstairs. The others were all waiting, Jane finishing up the book she'd been reading the day before, Jasper, Emmett and Riley playing around and Rosalie fussing with Victoria over their choice of clothing and their hair.

I smiled at that. Typical brothers and sisters.

"There you are!" Rosalie exclaimed when she saw me. She walked over to me and starting running her fingers through my hair, tsk-ing to herself. "You know, you could have at least done your hair the way that I like. Otherwise…" Her eyes narrowed and raked across my figure several times, a smirk forming on her lips. "I like the outfit. It's very…you."

I rolled my eyes. "Of course you'd say that, Rose. You bought most of these clothes for me the last time you went shopping, remember?"

"You're wearing the necklace I bought you," Jane mused, closing her now finished book and tossing it on the living room table. She smiled. "It looks good on you, Bella."

"Thank you, Jane," I replied, smiling back at her.

"Hey, do you girls think you could stop playing dress up?" Emmett asked humorously.

Victoria snorted. "Oh Emmett, we know you secretly listen to our fashion tips so that you can use them for yourself."

"It's true, I've caught him using my makeup before," Rosalie snickered.

"I did not!" Emmett whined. "You held me down and put that shit on my face, not me!"

Riley nudged Jasper. "I bet he totally let her put in on him."

"Definitely," Jasper agreed.

"Shut up!" Emmett shouted, crossing his arms petulantly. "I _so_ did not let her put it on me and I didn't enjoy it either! Gah!" He huffed and stormed out of the house, only to return a minute later to grab his backpack, grumbling to himself before re-exiting the house.

We all burst into laughter at the display for a few good minutes until a throat cleared and we stopped to see Carlisle standing with Esme near the staircase. Emmett crept back into the house upon hearing Carlisle, moving to stand near Rosalie. He still had his arms crossed, but the mirth swirling in his eyes showed how good a mood he was in.

When he had all of our attention, Carlisle smiled at each of us before beginning.

"Now, I know that all of you have your own opinion about going to high school again. I understand your disdain towards it and I apologize for that. But you all know why you must suffer through this and I hope you can understand and respect our reasons. I want each of you to be on your best behavior this year, understand?" he asked, smiling softly.

"Yes, Carlisle," we all replied.

Esme spoke next. "We are both very proud of all of you and how far you've come in recent years, both in your patience, your acceptance of having to go through high school again and again and in how strong your control has gotten when you're around humans. If anything happens, do not blame yourself or feel that we will be ashamed or upset. We know that accidents can occur at times and we want to be there for you at any time. If you start to feel overwhelmed, call one of us or exit the school, alright?"

Again, we all replied in unison. "Yes, Esme."

"Good. Now go and try to enjoy your first day of junior year, alright?"

Rosalie sighed. "I suppose I can try, though I warn you that if I have to deal with those damn gossip girls again, I may end up losing it…"

I felt an elbow nudge me and turned to see Emmett giving me his usual goofy grin.

"You gonna let one of those boys take you out this year?" he asked.

I nearly gagged on my venom. "Ew. No. Just, no," I groaned in disgust.

That was one of the reasons I loathed Forks High. The damn boys. I could not for the life of me understand teenage boys; even after all the years I'd spent living with them in my own house, I still didn't get what it was with them and their overactive hormones. It was like all teenage guys thought about was sex, sex, sex. To say that it was irritating would be a _huge_ understatement.

I knew for a fact that there would be a number of boys trying to ask me out, because there always was. And until I found myself a mate, it seemed as though it would keep happening over the years, no matter where I was.

Rosalie smacked Emmett's shoulder. "Be nice, Em."

"Yeah, and be thankful that you don't have to deal with it since any girl who even looks at you the wrong way gets the Rosalie glare," I added.

Oh how true that was. Any time that our family moved to a new location and started attending a new school, half of the student body would instantly try and hit on each one of us. It would often take about a month for everyone to figure out that everyone in this family, save for myself, was unavailable to date. That didn't mean that certain people wouldn't secretly pine after one of us, like that one year where Riley had his own personal stalker or the time that a group of guys tried to take Victoria home with them, which failed, naturally.

Unfortunately, because I was the only single sibling, I was made the biggest target. I found myself having to turn down boys—and men, which was _disgusting_ beyond all recognition—left and right. It was horrid and incessant, since right after I'd finish turning down one group, another group would take their place.

My siblings were all sympathetic to my plight and would do what they could to help me. There were even a few years where Rosalie and Emmett were kind enough to create the idea that the three of us were in a three person relationship, which included public displays of affection between Rosalie and myself, something we did anyways. In the end, though, I thought it best to stay single, since I didn't feel right lying about having a relationship.

I felt a wave of calm envelop me and realized that I had been letting my frustration and stress get the better of me. I ran a hand through my hair and allowed Jasper's calmness to wash over me, pushing away thoughts of things to come.

Esme walked over to me and pulled me into a hug, stroking my back as she did.

"Don't worry, honey. You'll find your mate soon, I just know it," she murmured.

"I hope so," I murmured back.

She smiled sympathetically at me as she released me. I smiled back, but it wasn't a big smile. I then noticed the others slowly exiting out the front door save for Rosalie and Jasper, who I guessed were the ones driving today. I started to walk out after them, but stopped, remembering that I'd wanted to ask Carlisle about what had happened the other night. I decided against it now, though I would ask him eventually.

After one last wave to my parents, I latched onto my backpack and trudged out the door, making sure to shut it gently behind me. I quickly sauntered over to my other siblings as Rosalie and Jasper drove out of our large garage, Rose in her sleek red BMV M3 Convertible and Jasper in his black Aston Martin. I decided to carpool with Rosalie today, so I gracefully strode over to her car and jumped into the seat behind her. Emmett got in after me and without waiting for the others to get into Jasper's car, Rosalie sped off, kicking up a small portion of dirt as she did.

Emmett and I both laughed at the gleeful smirk plastered on Rosalie's face as she drove. Rosalie loved many things and driving fast just happened to be one of them. In reality, we all drove faster than the average human. Only Carlisle and Esme had the patience and tolerance to drive at a "human speed" as they called it, though Esme would sometimes speed up.

I suppose the reason we drove fast was the thrill it brought us. And it wasn't like we were dangerous on the road. With our naturally heightened senses, we could easily smell or hear humans nearby, not to mention our heightened reflexes and reaction time made it easier to avoid injuring anyone or anything. None of us had ever gotten a police ticket or been in any crashes, at least none caused by us. There had been a few incidents that nearly resulted in several heads being ripped off, but nothing ever came of them aside from more money for us.

It didn't take us long to get to school. Five minutes, if even that, and we were already parked in the parking lot, Jasper mere seconds behind us. It was funny to see that there was practically no one at the school other than a few teachers and maybe five students, give or take.

"So, who's going to get our class schedules?" Riley asked.

"I got them last time," Rosalie stated. "Besides, it's not like we really need a class schedule with our memories."

"I'll go," I offered.

"I'll go with you," Jane stated. She turned and pecked Riley on the cheek. "You be good, now."

Riley rolled his eyes. "I'm always good, thank you."

"You're _too_ good, Riley," I teased. "In fact, I think that you and Jasper are probably the only goody-goodies among us."

It was true, too. Out of the seven of us, Riley and Jasper were probably the best behaved, especially when we were out in public. Jasper was probably the quieter of the two and was generally the most serious out of all of us, but that didn't mean he couldn't have fun. In public, though, he preferred to remain stoic and quiet, since it helped him utilize his abilities better, should he be in need of them. And at high school, that was always a big possibility.

Jane snickered as her mate shrugged his shoulders before joining me as I walked towards the main office to fetch our class schedules. We walked into the office one after another, the familiar stench of finished cigarettes—which were hidden, of course—cheap perfume and that unmistakable office stink that seemed to permeate every room in the small building.

"It stinks in here," Jane grunted, nose crinkling in revulsion.

I nodded, my nose crinkling as well. "It always does."

The two of us walked up the front desk, where a short, chubby woman with beady glasses and mop-like hair sat, her small eyes scanning the sheet of paper in front of her. After about a minute of silence, the woman finally noticed that she was no longer alone and looked up. Her brows had initially knit together in a scowl, but that scowl was replaced by a wide-eyed look of surprise when she caught sight of Jane and I.

"Ah, the C-Cullens," she stammered nervously, a bead of sweat dropping from her face. "It's g-good to see you g-girls again. Are y-you here for your class schedules?"

"Yes ma'am," Jane replied, taking on a mocking tone that only I recognized.

She nodded and gave a light smile. "Just one moment, I'll go and find them for you."

"You'd think after all this time the sweaty oaf would be used to us," Jane snickered, speaking at a speed and volume that only I could hear. It was as clear as if she were to speak normally, the only difference being her tone was lighter.

I had to hold back a burst of laughter that threatened to escape my mouth as I nodded in agreement, finding the woman's fear humorous. The fact of the matter was that some humans tended to find our appearances highly disconcerting and sometimes acted on those feelings. I suppose it depended on the individual and how it was we acted, but it was rather easy to make a human look like they wanted to go cower in the corner.

Of course, it wasn't like we acted in such a way on purpose. I oftentimes felt bad for humans that were frightened of us because of our appearances, especially younger children. Not all humans were like that though, just a select few of them. Most were immediately pulled towards us by our natural beauty, which was why I was thankful that I couldn't read their minds. I would hate to see what sort of perverted thoughts people had whenever they saw us. Ugh.

"Here you are, dears," the woman sputtered, handing me all the schedules.

"Thank you," I replied, bowing slightly to the woman, an old habit of sorts.

She looked taken aback by the gesture at first, but nodded nonetheless before hesitantly going back to what she was doing beforehand.

"Why do you do that?" Jane asked in a low whisper as we turned and walked away.

"Do what?" I inquired.

Jane rolled her eyes. "Why do you always bow to people?"

I stopped in my tracks and considered that for a moment. Why did I bow all the time? Hmm…

After a moment, I shrugged. "I guess it's just because that's how I was raised all those years ago, back when I was still a human. It's weird, I remember a few of the things my human parents taught me and they all seemed to stick with me, yet I can barely remember them."

"Carlisle and Esme are both better parents in your eyes," Jane commented.

"Yes, that they are," I replied, meaning it wholeheartedly.

Charlie and Renee had never been the best of parents. They'd always forced their own beliefs and lifestyles down my throat, telling me to do what they wanted me to do and never giving me the chance to make a life for myself. That was partially one of the reasons I ended up being with _him_ to begin with, because of their influence. Esme and Carlisle, on the other hand, were the exact opposites in every way possible. They were open-minded, non-judgmental and they were happy so long as I was happy, no matter what choices I made with my life.

I glanced down at the sheets in my hands, scanning each individual class schedule to see if I had any of my siblings in any classes. I smiled when I saw that I was sharing three of my classes with at least one sibling, having art with Jasper, English with Victoria and Spanish with Riley. At least those classes would be less of a bore.

"Do we have any classes together?" Jane asked curiously.

I shook my head. "No, we don't have any with one another, sorry pipsqueak. But I do have a class with Tori, Jazz and Riley."

Jane mumbled something under her breath. "It figures." She smirked at me. "I guess they learned their lesson from what happened last year."

That time I allowed myself to laugh, Jane joining me seconds later. Last year we had had History together, which resulted in a teacher quitting from the school. Our teacher had been a middle aged bald man who acted superior to his students and seemed to enjoying talking down to others, not to mention the fact that Jane and I were pretty sure he was a pervert, since he was always checking the girls out in our class, the two of us especially.

Unfortunately for us, we were two of his "favorites", not only to ogle but to talk down to. He didn't like to admit the fact that Jane and I were far smarter than he was and we knew a hell of a lot more about history then him, something we made certain to point out time and time again. We spent most of the year pranking him and making him look like an utter fool, so he eventually got some sense into his head and ended up quitting.

"He was such an ass," Jane mused, as if thinking the same thing I was.

"True, true," I agreed.

We walked outside back to where the others were waiting. I noticed that there were more cars in the parking lot now, which meant that school would be starting soon. I handed each of my siblings their respective class schedules before stuffing mine into my pocket. I'd already memorized it by just glancing at it, so it was no longer necessary for me to have.

"What class do you have first?" Rosalie asked.

"Victoria and I have English with one another," I replied.

Victoria groaned. "Oh joy, an hour and a half of being lectured on things we learned decades ago. I can _hardly_ wait."

I poked her in the stomach. "C'mon, Tori, you've got me in there with you. That makes it a _little_ more fun, doesn't it?"

She smiled and leaned in to peck my cheek. "Yeah, you're right. It does. I just hope we don't get stuck with Newton or Stanley."

I twitched at the mentioning of those two names, as did several of the others. If there were two humans in this school that we Cullens detested most, it was Mike Newton and Jessica Stanley, Forks' resident gossip queen.

Jessica Stanley was a short, loud mouthed little wimp that often hung around girls just like her, always being nosy with other people's business and spreading gossip, whether it be rumors, absolute lies or the truth, consistently. She thought she was all that and more and had the audacity to try and flirt with my brothers, especially poor Riley, who she had become incredibly fond of since we'd first moved here. She also had it out for me, often targeting me with her insults because I was the only "freak" that was single.

I found myself wanting nothing more than to strangle the little bitch. I'd even considered killing her on several occasions, a few of which I actually _tried_ to. I wasn't alone, though, since Rosalie, Victoria and Jane had all tried as well. Rosalie was probably the one that loathed her most and would throw a party on the day she died. She didn't like the things that Jessica and her friends said about me or the fact that she tried to flirt with her man and her brothers.

There had been one occasion where Rosalie had walked up to Jessica, grabbed her by the throat and threatened her, telling her that if she ever said one more word about anyone from her family or if she ever tried to flirt with her mate or brothers again, she'd put her in a body cast for the rest of her "worthless little life". Suffice to say, Jessica had toned down her gossiping about our family and was inhumanly petrified of Rosalie, which I found hilarious.

On the other hand, there was Mike Newton. He was a jock in both appearance and attitude. He probably could have gone out with just about any girl he wanted to. But no, the one girl he wanted was the one he would never get. Me.

Newton was obsessed with me. He was constantly talking about me, flirting with me, trying to ask me out and stalking me. Yes, Mike Newton was my number one stalker in Forks, yet another reason that I hated his guts. The boy simply would not give up on me, no matter how often I purposefully avoided him and turned down his requests. It was only made worse by the fact that Jessica had a crush on him, yet another reason for her resentment towards me.

I felt a hand tap my shoulder and glanced at the owner of said hand, Victoria.

"Are you planning on daydreaming or are we going to walk to class together?" she asked.

I blinked, snapping fully out of my reverie and noticed that everyone save for Victoria had already left for class. I stuffed my hands into my pockets and nodded to my sister before the two of us began to walk towards our first class.

As we walked, I couldn't help letting my mind wander a bit.

"Hey Victoria?" I asked, glancing at my fiery haired sister.

"Yes, Bella?"

I hesitated for a moment. "Do you think that I'll get lucky this year and find my mate?"

It was a question I'd asked myself for years now, each year the secret hope that I would find my soul mate lingering in the back of my mind. I never focused too much on it because I knew that it wouldn't end up happening. For once, though, the questions and the hope was stronger this time around, which made me worry a bit.

Victoria appraised me with tawny eyes for a moment before answering. "I think that you deserve to find your mate and be happy, yes. As to whether or not this will be the year, though, I do not know, despite how badly I would like to say yes. Either way, I'm here for you if you need it."

I nodded. "Thanks, Tori." It was the answer I'd been expecting and I was, for the most part, happy with it.

Out of curiosity, I peered over my shoulder and saw that most of the parking lot was now full. I noticed something that struck me as odd and paused to further inspect it. It was a bright yellow Porsche, a car that, amazingly enough, looked like it was almost as expensive as the cars that my family and I drove. I didn't recognize it, which meant one thing. This was the Brandon girl's.

I snorted at that before following after Victoria into the school, ignoring the various gawking looks that some of the students sent my way. Victoria waited for me until I caught up to her, shooting me an intrigued glance, obviously wondering what I had stopped for.

"What's up?" she inquired.

"Oh, I just saw a car that looked almost as pricey as the ones we own," I replied.

Victoria scowled at that. "Is that so? Well, you may not want to tell Rosalie that."

The two of us had a good laugh about that as we headed into our first class, English with a crabby looking woman named Mrs. Kossler. The class itself was nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, it was downright boring. The only saving grace was the fact that Victoria and I could talk with each other without anyone knowing or hearing, which made it incredibly easy to pass the time, even with the teacher rambling on about material that we had both learned decades ago. I was relieved when the bell finally rang, let me just say.

"That was torture," I grumbled to Victoria.

"_Tell_ me about it. The worst part is that this was just day one," she groaned in agreement.

I sighed. "We're going to need to devise some sort of strategy to get out of dying from boredom every day of the week."

"We could always eat her," she suggested with a smirk.

I cocked my head to the side, pondering her meaning. The twinkle in her eyes clearly told me and I scrunched my nose in disgust before shaking my head furiously.

"Ew! No, no, no, no, no! That is-no!" I grunted.

Victoria stared at me in silence. Then she burst into a fit of laughter that echoed throughout the halls, causing a few heads to turn and look as us as we walked. I paid no mind to the other students and glared at my sister for her confusing outburst. What was so funny? She noticed my glare and slowly quelled her laughter, clearing her throat once finished, though the mirth was still evident in her eyes.

"Sorry, Bells," she snickered. "It's just…your thought process is funny sometimes. I mean, I know you're gay and all, but did you really think I meant it _that_ way?"

I froze where I stood, my eyes widening. Victoria stopped too and looked at me quizzically.

"Did…did you just call me gay?" I asked in a hushed whisper.

Victoria frowned. "Well, yes. Aren't you?"

I furrowed my brow and thought about it. Was I gay?

I'd thought about it many times in the past. I did like women a lot more than men, I guess. I often found myself more comfortable being with girls, not to mention the fact that I found women to be far more physically appealing to me. It wasn't that I disliked men, since I lived with four of the kindest, greatest men in the entire world, but aside from them and the Denalis, I wasn't too particularly fond of them, especially human males.

But was I _really_ a lesbian?

Victoria gently grabbed my shoulder and pulled me into a fairly vacant hallway.

"Bella, do you really not see it? Come now, it's quite obvious. I mean, the cuddling with Rosalie, the fact that you kiss Jane, Esme, Rose and I on the lips. I've even noticed you checking out girls from time to time and Jasper has felt your emotions while you do it. Plus, you find most men to be repugnant and annoying, too. Can you honestly tell me to my face that you aren't a lesbian?"

I bit my lip, realizing that she was absolutely right on all accounts. "I…"

My redheaded sister cupped my cheeks, forcing me to meet her eyes. There was nothing but warmth in them, the warmth and love that only a true sister could give. She held my gaze until my body relaxed and my face softened up, at which point she spoke.

"Bella, I love you dearly and I can say without shreds of doubt that I don't care that you're gay. I know that you like it whenever we kiss. I can feel it in the way you kiss back. It's not a sexual or romantic kind of kiss, I know that, but you still like the feeling. And let's not forget the private moments that you and Rose have had in the past, hm? Like I said, though, it doesn't bother me in the least bit. If anything, you should be proud of your sexuality. We _both_ know Rosalie is."

I smiled at that and nodded in agreement. "You're right, Tori. Thanks."

"No problem, sis," she replied, smiling back.

The two of us walked with one another out from the hall and towards our next classes. Victoria slipped one hand around into mine, grasping it lightly. I smirked and happily held her hand as we walked, a comfortable feeling between the two of us.

"So does this mean we can make out in public?" I asked, lifting an eyebrow. "Or would Jasper get all jealous about it?"

Victoria laughed and rolled her eyes at me. "Oh, you," she chuckled. Then she paused. "Wait, are you being serious? Because you know he really doesn't mind it too much and I'm certain he wouldn't react the same way that Emmett does…"

"I was kidding, Tori," I snickered. "Well, sort of."

"You're weird," Victoria commented humorously, shaking her head as she did.

I smirked at her. "Aren't we all?"

Eventually we reached the door to my next class, which was, funnily enough, world history. I spent a minute laughing at that to myself before turning around to bid my sister goodbye. We kissed each other on the cheek and with that, Victoria sauntered off towards her next class. She paused only once and peered over her shoulder, smirking.

"See you at the stink-hole!" she called, though only I could hear it.

I laughed at that as she disappeared around the corner to head to her next class.

To Victoria, the cafeteria was a "stink-hole" because of the putrid stench that human food had to our noses. It was bad because the entire room was permeating with a variety of strong odors that wouldn't leave our noses until after we'd gotten out of there, which oftentimes took forever. I found it amazing how I used to eat some of the garbage that humans ate nowadays, truth be told and it was nauseating and downright disgusting.

Shaking off those thoughts, I went to reach for the doorknob, only to stop. I pulled my hand back and sniffed the air as casually as I could. My nose was hit by the variety of scents from each of the humans both in the classroom and surrounding me. Each smelled similar to me, yet there was one scent that was different.

The scent, to my nostrils, smelled rich and chocolaty…

Wait.

I knew that scent. Narrowing my eyes, I focused solely on that scent, ignoring the other smells that tickled my nose. Upon focusing in on it, I recognized it fully as the scent that I'd smelled coming off of the human from the woods last night. Which meant that said human was going to this school, something that I found interesting.

I looked around, trying to find the source of the wonderful smell, but could not find her. I frowned at that since her scent was close by, but shook those thoughts of it off. It wasn't that important that I find her, I don't even know the girl for crying out loud. She's _human_, too!

So why do I care so much?

"Stupid," I grumbled quietly, mentally smacking myself for being so absentminded.

With my head cleared, I reached for the knob again and twisted it open this time, stepping into the classroom and finding myself a seat. There were only a few students in the room since there was still about five minutes left until class began. The teacher wasn't even there yet, go figure.

I sat down in the back of the room and pulled out my iPod, which was practically my baby. I loved the little device more than I loved my cell-phone and brought it with me everywhere. After putting my earphones in, I turned the iPod on and leaned back into my chair, blaring the rock music into my eardrums. I smiled to myself as I listened to my music for the remaining five minutes before class began, going through twelve songs altogether.

It was when the teacher walked in—or rather, strutted in—that I shut my iPod off and casually clasped my hands together, waiting for class to begin so that it would end much faster. Unfortunately, nothing ever seemed to work quite the way that I wanted it to, because as the teacher began to prepare her lesson, a familiar grating voice forced itself into my ears.

"Hey there, Bella."

I grimaced and was overcome by the need to vomit, which wasn't physically possible, thankfully, but the need and feelings still remained. I turned almost painstakingly and, as luck would have it, came face to face with the one person I did _not_ want to share a class with.

Mike Newton, my number one fan _and_ my overly obsessive stalker. Oh joy.

**A/N: Don't you just love Mike? No? Me neither. He irritated me in the books. **

**So, most of you are on the correct trail in your assumptions from last chapter (I mean, I know I made it obvious, so I'm sorry if that was a letdown to you. Bella doesn't know, however, so that counts, right?). For those of you whose patience is waring thin, the time is coming soon, I promise. **

**Thought I would throw in some brief bonding with Victoria. I'm really glad you all like the family dynamics I have between Bella and the others. I did that purposefully to separate this from Blood Solstice. I realize that some of you are kinda against the kissing thing, but remember, they aren't sisters by blood and it's just a sort of friendship kiss, if anything. Because I do know that some people do that. So yeah. Sorry if that bothers you. **

**The Broken Aurora soundtrack is currently in the works (already?). And the banner will be posted on my profile, for those who want to look at it. For those of you wondering, Blood Solstice is taking a brief break so that I can focus a bit on building this story up. I will likely post the next chapter of that within this next week, don't worry. **

**Until next time.**


	5. Her

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or its characters, only my own characters and ideas. I do kinda wish I did, because it'd spare me the hassle of writing my own book. Hint hint.**

**Her**

Mike Newton. Sitting next to me. For an hour and a half.

I mentally groaned to myself and wished that I could shut my brain off until class was over so that I wouldn't have to deal with him. I could feel his eyes on me, studying my figure in that incredibly agitating way that they always did.

I had a bad feeling that this would be a very long hour and a half.

"So, you excited for the new year?" Newton asked.

I didn't even bother to look at him as I idly nodded my head, not about to give him the satisfaction of a verbal response. Maybe, just maybe, he would grow a few hundred brain cells and get that I wanted nothing to do with him. Maybe then he would leave me alone for the whole class instead of pestering me.

"So what's your schedule look like?"

Or maybe Hell would freeze over.

I groaned, realizing that he wouldn't shut up unless I actually spoke to him, so begrudgingly I turned my head so that I was looking at him halfway. His eyes seemed to light up when I did and I could practically hear the gears turning in his head. It amazed me how the simplest bit of attention was enough to trigger this boy's perverse thought process.

"Fairly boring," I replied in a monotone voice, ready for this conversation to be over.

He grinned goofily, as if my answer had just made his day. "Yeah, I know what you mean. What class do you have after this?"

"Spanish."

His grin widened. "And after that?"

I ran a hand through my hair in exasperation. "Then I have art, then biology and finally math."

His smile looked like it was about to crack his face in half, which I wish it would. It'd give me something to laugh about, at the very least.

"Hey, I have bio and math for my last two periods too! Who're your teachers?" he inquired.

I grimaced. "Mr. Moria and Mrs. Banner."

"Wow, that's _so_ cool! That means we have three classes together this year!" he shouted, looking as though he had been given a gift from God.

I, on the other hand, felt the need to both vomit and ram my head on my desk over and over again when I realized that I'd have to deal with this idiot in three classes. Was God punishing me for something I did wrong? Or did the faculty just enjoy tormenting me? Thinking on it, it was probably the latter, since they clearly had something against us Cullens. Damn them.

"Yeah, great," I deadpanned, doing the best I could from tearing my own hair out.

Thankfully class started around that time and I was given a good excuse to not talk to, listen to or even look at Mike Newton. I'd take boring history that I already knew over having to deal with him any day of the week. Unfortunately, even with my attention tuned in to the teacher's droning voice, I could not get away from the feeling of having Mike's eyes on me, which I felt repeatedly as the first thirty minutes of class slowly trudged by.

The teacher cleared her throat after she had finished her lecture and looked at each of us with scrutinizing eyes before she began to speak again.

"Now then, class, I want you to work with the person sitting next to you…"

I stopped listening after I heard those words and wanted nothing more than to be trapped on an island than to be forced to deal with my number one fanboy. Unfortunately, that wasn't an option, so I swallowed my pride, disgust and a small bit of venom and got out my schoolbook, silently cursing the teacher and my ill luck.

Mike looked ecstatic as usual and turned to face me. "I feel like I'm the luckiest person here since I have the smartest girl in all the school as my partner," he crooned.

"Thank you," I grumbled, not amused in the slightest by his flattery.

Of course, it was obvious from a few of the looks shot in our direction—namely jealousy towards Mike—that he wasn't the only one who felt that way. In fact, I was fairly certain that most of the students in this school felt that anyone who was given the chance to work with someone from my family, they were considered incredibly lucky.

My siblings and I were the smartest students in all of Forks High. We all got good grades constantly and it was thanks to us that Forks High was considered one of the highest ranking high schools in all of Washington. That was the primary reason that any trouble one of us caused was usually overlooked by the teachers and the principal. They treated us with respect and kindness because of the role we played for the school's growing wealth and popularity.

Well, _most _of the teachers did. There were a few that didn't like us because they thought that we were the kinds of people who acted "superior" to everyone else around us, which was far from the truth. Even Rosalie, who was a tad on the arrogant side, didn't act that way towards others.

I sighed. Humans. They were such confusing creatures sometimes.

"You ready to get to work?" Mike asked.

"Whatever," I muttered.

I don't know how, but I managed to get through most of the period without causing any physical damage to anyone, myself included. We were the first team finished with our assignment—something that Mike made certain that everyone else was aware of—which was the basic kind of "let us know what you know" exercise.

Since I was done, I wanted to spend the remaining few minutes listening to music and pretending that I wasn't in school. Mike, on the other hand, wanted to flirt with me, hoping that I would eventually give in to his "manly charms".

"So partner…" he started.

I gave him a sideways glare. When did he gain the right to call me "partner"?

"What is it?" I hissed out.

Mike seemed slightly taken aback by the hiss, but it didn't deter him for too long.

"Are you doing anything this Saturday?" he asked.

"Yes," I lied. I didn't have plans, but I certainly wasn't going to let him know that.

He pouted, but tried again. "Sunday?"

"Going hiking with family," I replied.

"What about next-"

"I'm going to the movies with my sisters the following weekend. Then the one after that I'm leaving the state for a few weeks to visit family up in Alaska. I'm sorry, Mike, but I am not free on the weekends for the next few months. Not only that, but because it is a school night, I am unavailable for tonight and every night this week and any week," I stated as evenly as I could.

For the first time, Mike Newton had nothing to say to that. I had eliminated any and all of his chances at asking me out, thus destroying whatever plans he had wanted to invite me to. On the inside, I was throwing a party for myself, pleased that I had finally shut him up.

The rest of class I was feeling a little less moody and a bit happier, quietly listening to music while silently laughing at the dumbfounded expression on Mike's face. He just sat there with his mouth hanging open, staring down at his desk with a look that could only be described as that of someone who had just had their puppy kicked.

It was _priceless_.

At last the bell rang and I was freed from class. I grabbed my already packed backpack and speedily walked out of the room, hoping to get to my next class without having to stop for anything, including…

"Hey Bella, wait up!"

_Mike Newton again? Damn it._

I forced myself to turn and saw him hurrying towards me, nearly falling as he did.

"Yes, Mike?" I asked, faking a pleasant voice.

He stopped a few inches away and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I know you said that you weren't available at all for a while, but…"

_Oh God. What's he planning?_

He looked at me and smiled. "I was wondering if maybe you would like to go with me to the first dance when it comes around. It's going to be in a few months, so I figured we could maybe plan it in advance, you know?"

I twitched and just stared at him. And then I turned around and walked off, not even bothering to give him an answer. I couldn't believe it. All the times I'd turned him down to the dates or dances or whatever, all of the excuses I'd used, no matter how poor some of them were. Yet this fool still did not get it through his skull that I wasn't interested in him, in any way, shape or form other than the need to pound him into the ground.

I stopped for a moment as a thought hit me. I really _was_ a lesbian. Huh.

"Bella, wait!" Mike called, chasing after me.

I clenched my fists, growing tired of his incessant stupidity. There was a limit to how much of it I could take, and after a year and a half of it already, I was at my breaking point. I didn't stop this time and kept at my speed, turning down a hallway to get to my next class. He wouldn't let up, though, because I could hear his footsteps and his ragged breathing behind me.

"Hold on!" Mike shouted again.

Anger surged through me and I spun around, baring my teeth in the process.

"_**What?**_" I snarled.

Mike almost jumped out of his skin, the resolve in his eyes dying instantly. He stood there, mouth agape like a goldfish for a good minute before regaining his composure and gulping.

"U-um, you d-didn't g-g-give me an a-answer…" he sputtered feebly.

I growled, my entire chest rumbling with the noise. I felt venom start to pool into my mouth, but I did nothing to swallow it back. Right now, the only thing I wanted to do was sink my teeth into the foolish boy to silence him for good. As those thoughts surged through my brain, my throat started to heat up as though there were a fire inside of it.

"Go. Away."

"B-but-"

I cut him off and slammed him into a nearby locker, grasping his throat with my left hand. I ignored the gasps and looks of fright that the few other students in the hall shot my way, focusing my glare on Newton I could hear the rapid beating of his heart and in turn the blood flowing through his veins. My rage started to morph into thirst as the heat in my throat increased painstakingly. Grinding my teeth together, I struggled to contain the beast within.

As much as I wanted to, I would not spill this boy's blood, at least not here, not now.

No.

Not ever.

I couldn't kill him. I couldn't kill another human, never. I'd only cause pain for my family again and that wasn't something I could do. I'd already done that enough times already, already brought shame to the love that Carlisle and Esme had shown me and to their lifestyle.

No more. I couldn't let my anger get the best of me, or my thirst. Never again.

Taking in a few unnecessary deep breaths, I loosened my grip on him, but kept him pressed against the lockers.

"Listen and listen well, Newton. I. Do. _Not_. Like. You. I want _nothing_ to do with you, do you understand me? I do not want to be friends with you or go out with you or _anything_ like that. Get it through that thick skull of yours you worthless little whelp. Do _not_ bother me again with your incessant questions or flirtations, because if you do, I will _rip _your eyes out and shove them down your throat. Now leave me _**alone**_," I growled.

I released him, then, and watched as the gears in his head finally put two and two together. He looked at me like a frightened animal, eyes as wide as baseballs, and nodded shakily before clamoring off. I caught a whiff of a stench in the air and I nearly laughed when I discovered that he'd soiled himself. "Nearly" being the key word, since I now had my thirst to deal with.

I felt a strong wave of calm envelop me, pushing any remaining rage and the growing thirst away long enough for me to clear my head. I growled quietly, already knowing that Jasper was nearby from both the calmness and his scent.

"Calm it down, Bella," Jasper stated, appearing from behind me.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," I grumbled. "How'd you know what was going on?"

"I could feel your thirst and anger from the other side of the school," he replied. "I got concerned, so I excused myself from class to come and help out. What's the problem?"

Jasper's calmness having fully absorbed into me, my shoulders slumped as I rested my head on his left shoulder. Jasper gently rubbed me back and I could feel the concern emanating off of him, even if it wasn't purposeful.

"Sorry, Jazz," I murmured, feeling abashed for making him worry.

Jasper chuckled. "You don't have to apologize, Bella. Honestly, it was nice to be able to escape class early. What was it that made you so upset, though?"

"Newton," I spat, pulling my head away from his shoulder.

Jasper knew immediately why I felt the way I did and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"What did that little runt do this time?" he asked.

I ran a hand through my hair. "What he always does. Try to ask me out, again and again. I guess I just got sick of all his repeated attempts and snapped. I didn't mean to get so angry and I sure as hell didn't mean to get thirsty, but the two just seemed to rise up from out of nowhere. At least he won't bother me anymore. It'll be a little awkward since I'm stuck with the little bastard in three of my stinking classes, but…"

He was confused. "But what? Why am I getting guilty vibes from you?"

I looked into his golden eyes. "Jasper, you felt it. I…I wanted to kill him. And not in the figurative sense, I really wanted to kill him. I wanted to tear into his throat and drain every inch of blood running through his veins. I almost did, too."

Jasper sighed and placed both of his hands on my shoulders. "Bella, almost doing something and doing something are two completely different things. You didn't kill him or bite him or lunge for him or anything like that. You have no reason to feel guilt, none at all. You did nothing wrong, so please, stop feeling so guilty."

"If you say so," I sighed.

Jasper prepared to say something, but stopped. He frowned and turned his head to the right, looking down the hallway. I was about to ask him what was wrong when I heard a shrill scream growing closer. The screaming became louder as a girl turned from the corner and bolted down the hall, straight past us. And right on her heels was a livid Rosalie, chasing down the girl at a pace that was almost _too_ fast. Jasper instantly stepped in front of Rosalie.

"Get _out_ of my way!" she snarled.

"Rosalie…" Jasper warned, keeping his distance from her. I could feel another wave of calm flowing off of him towards her, which she tried to fight.

Seeing that he could use a hand, I moved forward and wrapped my arms around Rosalie, bringing her close to me. She hissed at first, but ultimately she gave in to both my hug and Jasper's gift, her shoulders slumping as she relaxed into me.

"Thanks," she murmured, squeezing me a bit more. "I needed that."

I patted her back as Riley appeared, hurriedly walking towards us. He saw that Rosalie was in my arms and visibly relaxed, slowing his pace as he neared us.

"Whew. I was worried there for a moment that Rosalie had gone on a rampage," Riley breathed.

Rosalie mumbled something into my shoulder before pulling away and shaking her head.

"Damn it. First day and I already lost my temper," she muttered under her breath.

I patted her shoulder sympathetically. "I know the feeling, Rose. Who was that, by the way?"

"Lauren Mallory," she hissed.

I frowned at that, trying to recall who that was. The name sounded familiar…

Oh!

Lauren Mallory was the captain of the cheerleading team of the school and probably the biggest snob this side of Washington. She wasn't like the gossip spreading Jessica Stanley. The two used to be friends, but now they hated each other, in fact. No, she was the kind of person who thought she was the cream of the crop, better than everyone, prettier than everyone and more stylish than everyone, even though her parents were only middle class at best.

Being the cheerleading captain made her popular with the boys of Forks High and there were a variety of rumors going around that she was sleeping around with more than one of them, which I found utterly disgusting and in horrible taste. She seemed proud of the fact, though, which I guess goes to show the type of person she truly is.

"That little skank needs to get hit by a fucking truck," Rosalie growled.

"What happened, Rose?" I inquired. "And what are you doing here, Riley?"

Riley shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, I was going to catch up with you and walk with you since we have class together next. But then I heard Rosalie shouting at someone, so I went to investigate and that's when I saw Rosalie yelling at that Mallory girl. I didn't know what happened, but I tried to calm Rose down and that's when the girl took off and Rosalie chased after her like an angry bull."

Jasper started to laugh, louder than he normally did in public. Rosalie, Riley and I all looked at him, all of us equally confused, until he stopped and cleared his throat.

"Sorry," he snickered. "It's just that…you two." He paused and pointed at Rosalie and I. "Are so much alike, I think that the two of you _have_ to be related." Rosalie and I looked at each other and then back at Jasper again, still puzzled. "I mean that you were both about ready to rip someone into shreds on your first day."

Rosalie and Riley both appraised me. "Who?" Rosalie asked.

"Newton," I replied. She snorted and Riley smacked his forehead. "Yeah, my thoughts exactly."

"Is he still at it?" Riley asked. "You'd think the fool would learn by now."

Jasper chuckled again. "I do believe he has this time. Bella gave him quite the scare just a moment ago."

"And nearly made him lunch," I grunted.

Rosalie frowned at me while Jasper shook his head. Riley remained silent, though his eyes mimicked the look that Rosalie was giving me. It was a meaningful look that meant they wanted to know what was going through my head. I shrugged my shoulders and waved it off, not really feeling like discussing it at the time. Besides, we were still in school.

"We should get going to class," I murmured, avoiding my siblings' eyes.

They were silent for a moment before they all nodded, though Rosalie looked the most reluctant.

"I guess I'll see you guys at lunch," Jasper stated softly, nodding to each of us before departing.

"Later Jazz, later Rose. Are you coming, Riley?" I asked, looking at my brunette sibling.

He nodded. "Yeah, let's go."

Riley turned and began walking towards our next class. I started to follow, but stopped when I felt a hand gently grab my shoulder and pull me back. Rosalie forced me to meet her eyes by cupping my cheeks, gazing into my eyes softy.

"Bella, are you alright?" she inquired.

"I'm fine, Rose. Honest."

She didn't believe me, but she nodded. "If you need to talk…"

"I'll let you know," I stated. "Thank you."

Rosalie sighed and nodded before walking off in the opposite direction. I joined Riley and the two of us made our way to our class; Spanish. It was sad because I had already memorized the language and was fluent in it. In fact, I was fluent in about six other languages altogether: French, Italian, Romanian, Dutch, German and Russian. It wasn't anything to brag about, though, since Jane was fluent in nine languages and both Carlisle and Esme eleven.

We walked in a comfortable silence together and went through class speaking only a few times to each other, mostly about the class itself, though there was a little bit of plain conversing between us. That was one of the things I liked about Riley, he was always easy to talk to and incredibly laid back about things. He didn't complain as much as the rest of us did, either, which was nice I guess, though I enjoyed hearing Victoria and Rosalie complain.

Spanish wasn't as annoying as history was, mostly because of Riley being there and because I actually _liked_ the teacher, amazingly enough. It was a decent class, but it still wasn't enough to get the thoughts of earlier out of my head, which continued to trouble me, even when the ball rang. When class ended, I bid Riley goodbye and made my way to my last class before lunch, which happened to be art with Jasper.

Jasper could sense that I was still troubled, but he didn't bother me about it. He wasn't the kind of person to intrude unless he was incredibly concerned, which I was thankful for. He did send me a wave of calm to help me when we started class, which I appreciated. It helped a little to alleviate the worry and doubt clouding my mind, to say the least.

I was relieved when the bell rang and we were freed from class to go to lunch. Even though it was a brief break and I would be forced to deal with the stench of human food, I'd at least get some time to breathe from dealing with the dull classes. Not only that, but I could get these thoughts out of my head, since they didn't seem to want to leave.

"You're still thinking about it," Jasper murmured as we walked with each other to the cafeteria.

I grimaced. "I can't stop, Jasper. I was so close to killing…"

"Bella, stop it," Jasper stated, using his gift to enforce his words. "You haven't had an accident in ages now, we all know that. Your control has gotten much better and I know for a fact that you would have stopped yourself either way. And in case I need to remind you, you did not kill Mike Newton, therefore there is no reason for you to feel guilty. Now stop it or I'll suggest to Emmett that he threw human food at you."

I stared at him for a moment in surprise, but quickly turned that into a glare.

"If you do that, you had better get used to the idea of being bald, Jasper," I warned, flashing my teeth. "Because I will shave your head, mark my words."

Jasper snickered. "That's more like it."

We entered the cafeteria at that point and my nose was immediately bombarded with the various stinks of the multitude of human foods in the area. I scrunched my nose and covered my mouth, deciding to skip the lunch line and walk straight to our family table. Jane was the only one sitting there, her face close to the book she was reading to avoid the smells.

Inches away from the table, I became distinctively aware of that sweet, chocolaty smell again, realizing that the person from last night was in the lunch room. A part of me wanted to locate this person, but I decided against it as I sat down next to Jane.

"Hey Jane," I greeted, setting my backpack under my chair.

"Hey," she replied, peering up at me through her book. "It stinks in here."

I chuckled. "Yeah, it does. Don't worry, we'll get used to it in a few days, like we always do."

She snorted and closed her book, placing it into her backpack afterwards. Jane then crossed her arms and appraised me with curious eyes.

"So…"

"I don't really feel like talking about it, Jane," I stated firmly yet gently. "I know I almost messed up, but I didn't. I've already cleared my head about it, so there's no reason for me to worry or for anyone else to worry."

"Alright, I was just checking. But you know, you need to stop overreacting every time you start to feel your thirst build."

"That's easy for you to say, Jane," I muttered in a whisper for only to two of us to hear. "You've been in this family for a much shorter time period, yet your control is ten times better than mine is and we both know it. I've always been the weak link in this family, no matter how hard I try."

Jane furrowed her brow and scowled at me. "That's not true and you know it, Bella. Stop being so damn negative, will you? I love you insanely, but I really hate when you start acting that way, so try to trim it down, okay? Think positive thoughts, like Emmett does."

I had to laugh at that. "You want me to act like a naked bear on steroids?"

"Hey!" Emmett whined, plopping down two chairs away from me. "I'm not…on steroids!"

"You do look like it, though," Jane giggled.

Emmett grumbled as Rosalie sat down between us while Jasper, Riley and Victoria all sat down on the other side of the table, Jasper, Riley, Rosalie and Emmett all carrying trays with small portions of food on them, much to my and Jane's disgust. I was so incredibly thankful that we didn't have to actually _eat _this garbage. Human food tasted like dirt to us. Even though our bodies did absorb whatever nutrients were in the food—the rest of it would be dissolved by our venom—it wasn't worth it having to put up with that horrid taste.

Victoria poked at the food in front of her with a fork, her nose crinkled as she did, while Riley, Emmett and Jasper rolled an orange back and forth between them. We didn't eat the food, but we did enjoy playing with it, at least.

That same intoxicating scent filtered into my nose at that point. I subtly breathed it in and marveled in how delicious it was, wondering to myself who it belonged to. Deciding that I'd waited enough, I turned my head just a bit and scanned the room, searching for the source of the chocolate aroma. My eyes raked across every table, each time my nose focusing in on the scents to try and find the one that I was looking for.

"What are you doing?" Rosalie asked, breaking my attention.

I turned back around and looked at her, shrugging innocently as a response.

"Just sniffing around," I replied. But then I thought better of it. "Do you guys smell that?"

Victoria stopped poking at her food and cocked her head to the side, giving me an amused look. "Smell what, the sweaty humans or their stinky food?" she inquired.

I rolled my eyes, but found myself giggling along with Jane at her comment.

"What do you smell?" Rosalie asked.

I stopped giggling and frowned. "It's that same smell from the forest last night, from that girl who was out in the woods. It smells…sweet. Like rich chocolate, I'd say. And it's really intoxicating to me."

Rosalie furrowed her brow and sniffed the air for a moment. "I don't smell anything like that, Bella. As far as my nose can tell, all I can smell is the stink of the human's foods. Is your nose working alright?"

"Hey, my nose _always _works right!" I grumbled, crossing my arms petulantly.

Rosalie chuckled and playfully pinched my cheek. "Aw, aren't you cute?"

"Bitch," I growled.

She beamed at me. "Damn straight I am."

My attention was broken when I heard a few whispers coming from the other end of the room. I was curious, so I zoned in on those whispers.

"Is that the new girl?" asked a boy.

"Ew, what's with her clothes? They're so…weird," muttered a girl.

"Dude, she's _hot_," another boy breathed.

"What's her name?" a girl inquired.

"She's the Brandon's daughter. She just moved up here from Mississippi," remarked a third girl in a thoughtful voice. "I think her name is Mary?"

All the whispers were quelled when I heard an incredibly shrill voice shouting.

"Hey Mary, come sit with us!"

I groaned internally when I recognized the source of that voice. Jessica Stanley.

Rosalie growled next to me and gripped the fork in her hand tightly, causing the tiny utensil to bend in half. Emmett rubbed her shoulder while Jasper sent her a wave of calm, trying to keep her from trying to go and murder the human she hated most in all of Forks.

The girl whom she was calling, Mary apparently, sauntered over to her table. I watched her move and couldn't help but marvel at how surprisingly graceful the girl was. Her movements were fluid like water, as though she were gliding instead of walking. I didn't see her face, only her long, dark brown hair as she sat down at Jessica's table.

So _this_ was the Brandons' daughter.

My nostrils flared. That intoxicating sweet scent that I'd smelled all morning. It was hers! She was the one who had been in the forest that night! I could feel my eyes widen at the revelation, my mind instantly ablaze with questions and thoughts. Why was she out in the forest that late at night? Why did I smell her when she hadn't even entered the room? Come to think of it, why did I smell her so much when I never once saw her until now?

Jasper sent me a wave of calm now, helping clear my head of all the questions pulsating through it. I grimace and turned back around, staring down at the table as I ran my fingers through my hair in an effort to push away the unimportant questions that kept popping up. With a sigh I crossed my arms and rested my forehead in them, closing my eyes to relax a bit. For once, however, my ears seemed to have a mind of their own.

"Everyone, this is Mary Brandon. She's the new girl here," Jessica announced, sounding gleeful that she'd found a new person to gossip about.

"Actually, I'd prefer Alice, if you don't mind," the girl stated. I felt my heart muscles wrench and my head nearly shot upwards. Her voice...I'd never in my existence heard such a melodious voice. It was light and playful, like wind-chimes, yet indescribably…beautiful.

And her name. Alice…

"How do you like Forks so far, Alice?" asked a different girl. Judging by the softness of her tone, I recognized it as Angela Weber.

Alice giggled, her laughter as musical as her voice was. "It's quite alright, actually. It's not as sunny as Mississippi is, but I don't mind. I love the rain more than the sun and I can't wait for the snow to start."

"Ew, I _hate_ the snow," Jessica grumbled.

I tried to stop listening at that point. My brain was everywhere at once, as were my emotions. I was feeling…_feelings_ that I'd never felt before, some that I didn't even know what they were. It confused me, scared me and worried me all at once. Jasper sensed my distressed emotions and sent me a strong wave of calm, his eyes boring into mine with concern as they did.

I grimaced, not knowing how to respond. I couldn't stop feeling the way I was, even with Jasper's help, though it certainly aided in quelling some of them. I caught a few concerned glances from my other siblings, but I shook my head at them. I didn't understand what was going on myself, so there was no reason to pester them.

My thoughts were broken when I heard Alice's harmonic voice, though it was quiet.

"Who are _they_?" she asked.

I knew already who "they" were, especially by the tone of her voice.

"Those are the _Cullens_," Jessica replied in a low hiss.

I heard several of the other humans at their table mutter things under their breath. Angela Weber, though, shook her head and sighed.

"They're the adopted children of Dr. Cullen and Mrs. Cullen. They all moved down here from Alaska about a year and a half ago. They're a quiet family that usually keeps to themselves, but they're all incredibly smart and they're very close to one another."

"Yeah, too close," Jessica snorted. "They're _dating_ each other inside their own family for crying out loud. It's disgusting!"

"They are?" Alice asked, confused and…intrigued?

Angela shook her head again. "Ignore her. A few of them are couples, yes, but none of them are related by blood. It's a bit unique, I think, but there's nothing wrong with that."

Hearing her words, I made a mental note to myself to be nice to Angela Weber for the rest of the school year. She was probably one of the most non-judgmental humans I'd ever seen before and for that she had my respect.

"So who's who?" Alice inquired, speaking as though this were the most interesting thing in the universe, confusing me further.

Jessica opened her mouth to speak, but Angela cut her off. "Their names are Rosalie, Jane, Jasper, Emmett, Riley, Victoria and Bella. Emmett is the big guy with the cropped hair and he's with Rosalie, the taller girl with long blonde hair-"

"Emmett scares me," Jessica grunted. "And Rosalie is such a _bitch_."

Rosalie snarled next to me and nearly sprang out of her chair. Luckily, Emmett kept her in place by forcing her down, though it took all his strength and both of his arms to do so. Jasper, who was looking a little strained, sent her a strong wave of calm and indifference that hit her like a train, causing her to practically collapse into Emmett's arms.

Angela continued as if she'd never been interrupted. "Jane is the youngest looking girl with light blonde hair. She's together with Riley, the brunette boy-"

Again, Jessica interrupted her. "I don't like Jane. She's such a freak. Riley's a babe though. I can't understand what he sees in her when he could have someone _much _better."

"Not on your life," Riley grumbled. Jane merely hissed at her, tempted to use her gift.

"Then there's Jasper, the blonde boy. He's with Victoria, the redheaded girl." Jessica looked like she was about to cut her off, but this time Angela didn't let her. "And lastly is Bella, the girl with the dark brown hair. She doesn't have anyone yet, as far as I know."

I turned slightly and noticed Alice's head bob. "Bella…" she breathed.

Just the sound of hearing her say my name the way she did sent a wave of strange, tingling feelings through my body. I couldn't take them anymore. I needed to get out of here and think. Without a word, I stood up and grabbed my backpack, blocking out the conversations going on around me. It was too much for me right now.

"Bella," Jasper murmured, nearly standing.

I shook my head. "Later," I whispered out.

I didn't give him or any of the others the time to speak and turned on my heel, briskly heading out of the cafeteria. I let out a shaky breath as I headed toward the door, trying to get all the thoughts from out of my head when I heard a whisper so quiet, I thought I'd nearly imaged it.

"Bella."

I grimaced, feeling an overwhelming need to turn around and face the direction of that voice, knowing already that it was Alice's. I didn't understand, what was it about this human that drove me to feel the way I did? It made no sense! Yet despite my will to resist, my body seemed to move on its own as I turned my head.

And then I came face to face with a pair of piercing blue eyes that I never thought I'd see again.

**A/N: *insert your random fangirl squeal moment here* Alice! *insert another, shorter fangirl squeal***

**Yes, she has arrived. And with long hair. Miss the pixie cut that we all love? Fear not. Wanting to punch Jessica Stanley in the face? Fear not. You want Bella to sprint over there and tackle Alice to the ground and-wait, wait, wait. I'm getting off track now. Ahem. **

**I hoped you enjoyed. See you girls (and boys) next time. Peace.**


	6. Those Eyes

**Disclaimer: I taketh no claim to Stephanie Meyer's Twilight. I taketh claim for mine own ideas and mine own characters. No clue why I wrote like that. **

**Those Eyes**

I stood there frozen, several feet away from the doorway, feeling like a deer caught in the headlights of a massive truck. I couldn't bring myself to move, even if I wanted to, which I desperately did. Instead, all I could do was stare whimsically back into the crystal-blue eyes gazing intently back into mine.

It can't be. It just…it _can't_ be. There's no way that it could be the same girl from all those years ago, the one that I had saved from being killed by _him_.

My mind went blank as images of what had happened surfaced and replayed in the back of my mind several times over. I remembered everything from that day clearly, the smell of chocolate radiating off of the little girl, the same smell that emanated from this girl. I remembered the look in her eyes when she gazed up at me as I stood, glowing in the sun. I remembered turning back from her and running, fearful of what could and would happen to her and feeling the urge to run back, though I forced myself to ignore it.

Staring back at her, this Mary Brandon or Alice or whatever her name was, I saw an image of the same girl with the same eyes and the same face looking back at me. I shook the image away, telling myself that there was no way they were the same.

But…

It looked _just_ like her. Well, the eyes did. They were the same shade of deep ocean blue that the girl that I had saved all those years ago had. They sparkled the same and they captivated me the same too, even though the girl that they belonged to looked much different.

I knew though. Mary Alice Brandon _was_ the same girl.

As I stared into her eyes, I saw something flicker in them, an emotion I couldn't quite register. It was enough, however, to somehow kick my mind into working again. Thoughts rained down on me as I managed to force my head to turn away from her captivating eyes and pushed my body out of the cafeteria. I didn't know where to go, just as long as it wasn't there.

My head was spinning. I felt like I was on the verge of having a mental breakdown because of all the things running through my mind. I had to find somewhere quiet and secluded where I could calm down and clear my mind up. Remembering that lunch was nowhere near being finished, I decided to head to the location of my next class and sped down the hall towards it.

The class was completely vacant, which I was grateful for. I sat down in a seat near the window and placed my head between my arms, taking in deep breaths that weren't really necessary, but the action seemed to help me.

_Okay self, calm down and count to ten. Clear your mind and relax…_

I closed my eyes and slowly started to count to ten in my head, collecting all of my thoughts together so that I could better analyze everything that was going on so that I wouldn't have to stress out about things that made no sense to me.

_One_.

The girl that I saved eleven years ago from being killed by Edward, Mary Alice Brandon, is going to this school. I know it's her because she has the same scent, though it's stronger, and the same piercing eyes that she had when she was little. And aside from that, I just know it's her. It's like a gut feeling, and my gut feelings are rarely wrong.

_Two. _

She was also the human who was out in the forest late at night, looking for something. The strangest part was that she was right where I was, almost like she was looking for…me? She even looked up in the tree at the exact moment that I started leaning down, and I didn't even make a sound. It was almost like she _knew_ that I was there. Could she have? No, that's impossible, there's no way she could have.

_Three. _

Her scent is incredibly intoxicating to me and me alone. My siblings can't seem to smell her scent the same way that I can, which confuses me. There's also the fact that her scent is different from normal humans, who generally smell the same to me. But her, she smells much better than they do and much more…what's the right word? Alluring? Either way, it's driving me crazy.

_Four_.

For some reason, I have these strange urges that I've never felt before whenever I'm near her and they're confusing me. Plus, it's incredibly annoying, too. It's like a pull towards her, a need almost to be near her and it makes no sense to me. I don't know her and I certainly don't want to be near her, especially because of what I am. It just isn't right.

_Five. _

I should speak to Carlisle about this. Maybe he'll know why I feel these feelings? I suppose that it would also help to explain to him who she is and what happened, yet another reason why I feel uneasy around her. I have a feeling that I'll need to talk with the others too, especially Jasper since he already knows there's something wrong.

_Six._

I need to stop stressing out. It's doing nothing but worrying the others.

_Seven._

So what if she's the same girl? It's not like she remembers me. That was eleven years ago, when she was a child. There's no reason to worry. She probably just liked the sound of my name, that's why she said it the way she did.

_Eight._

Class is going to start soon. I need to stop worrying so much about nothing. If I were a human, this would be the equivalent of a panic attack, which is just insulting. I don't do stress, not for something as ridiculous as this. If Emmett were here, he'd probably make fun of me for looking like this. Damn it.

_Nine._

It doesn't matter who she is, where she came from or what I did. It doesn't matter in the slightest, plain and simple. So then why do I feel like it does matter? Agh, I'm letting my thoughts get to me again, damn it. Forget them, forget everything about it!

_Ten._

No more worrying. No more stressing. No more thinking. Just calmness.

I leaned back into my seat and let out a long sigh, running both hands through my hair. I'd managed to ease my mind. There was no reason to stress out or worry. She was just some human that I'd saved years ago and she happened to be in the same school as me. So what? She probably didn't even remember what happened and she was the Brandons' daughter, which meant that she was likely just like them.

I smiled and chuckled to myself at that fact as the bell rang, knowing that in a short few minutes there would be students piling in. Remembering my thirst from before, I decided to deal with that now and slipped my hand into my backpack. I pulled out a thermos and popped it open, downing the fresh blood inside of it.

Esme had a habit of giving us a thermos filled with blood in it. It was her way of making sure that we were safe and fully fed whenever we went to school, which I thought was a Godsend. I guzzled down the entire thermos and let out a content sigh after finishing before closing the thermos and putting it back into my backpack. I guess another good thing about it was that it helped us look more normal, since we never ate or drank anything.

Right on cue, students started clamoring into the room, moaning and groaning about having to deal with another class. At this point in time, I actually didn't care too much anymore. Sure, it was annoying and I doubted that I'd be paying any attention to the teacher, but I was feeling a bit better now, especially since I'd drank some of the blood Esme gave me. That always made me feel better, for obvious reasons.

My thoughts were broken by a familiar scent and I whipped my head to the door to see Alice Brandon walking through the door, a shy look on her face. Her crystal eyes met mine again and held my gaze for a few seconds before she blushed and looked down at the floor as she walked towards the teacher's desk.

I felt so _captivated_ by her, and not just because of her scent. She was…beautiful.

She had long hair that reached her shoulders in length, almost as long as my hair. It was a dark chocolate color, almost dark enough to be considered black to a human, but in reality it was only a tad darker in tone than mine was. Then there was her skin, which was a very fair white, enough to where her blush created a rosy pink color on her cheeks, which was surprisingly adorable.

And her eyes…God, her eyes were _angelic_.

I couldn't take my eyes off of her, no matter how badly I wanted to. Even when the teacher strolled into the class I couldn't turn away, watching her every move as she quietly spoke to the teacher and handed him a sheet of paper to sign. Once he'd signed it, he pointed in my direction and-wait, what was that? Did he just tell her to sit next to me?

My head turned slightly and my eyes scanned the room. Every seat in the class was taken, save for the one that was next to me. I wasn't sure whether to be worried or thrilled by the fact that she would be sitting next to me during class.

Whoa there. Why is it that big of a deal? She's just a damn _human_!

I mentally smacked myself for thinking such ludicrous thoughts and forced my eyes away from the beautiful human as she gracefully moved towards me and, after glancing at me for a moment, sat down in the seat. I watched out of my peripherals as her sky blue orbs tentatively looked at me, a dreamy gleam behind them.

I was thankful that the teacher started class at that point in time, probably the most thankful I'd been for class starting in ages. The teacher droned on about class instructions, assignments we'd be doing and the fact that we would be lab partners with the person sitting at our table.

Wait. WHAT?

Oh Lord, this day was getting worse by the minute. Now I was forced to sit next to and work with the girl whose life I'd saved from being killed by _him_ years ago—not to mention the fact that she smelled mouthwateringly delicious to me. And this was for the entire year? This was definitely _not_ my day.

"Now, I'm going to pass out these sheets and I'd like you and your partners…" The teacher began to say, though I blocked it out.

I didn't listen to anything else he said as he passed out the assignments to each table, nor did I pay much attention when Alice slipped the assignment over to me, looking at me through her eyelashes with curious, appraising eyes. It was when I heard a soft, wind-chime like voice next to me that I broke from my thinking and actually bothered to pay attention.

"Um h-hello…" Alice murmured.

I turned and looked at her, staring into her gorgeous eyes. She gazed intently at me, looking like she was waiting for something. That was when I realized that she had greeted me and that I had yet to respond to her. Odd as it was, I was raised better than that.

"Hi," I replied, though it sounded relatively awkward.

"I'm Mary Brandon," she greeted timidly, her long locks bobbing as she slowly extending her right hand to me. "But I p-prefer to be called Alice."

I furrowed my brow, mainly because I had been taught—which apparently was not the correct way, which I found out years ago—to shake with my left hand. Not only that, but with my body temperature being icy cold, I knew that she would likely make a comment about it. Still, I didn't want to be rude, no matter how awkward the situation was between us.

She gave me her name, even though I knew it already. Even though she knew mine, I decided to return the gesture, strange as it was.

"I am Bella Cullen."

I extended my hand forward and mere seconds later gently grasped hers. I was stunned when she neither flinched nor drew back her hand, though she did shudder slightly upon making skin contact. Another thing I noticed was an odd sensation that shot through me the moment our skin touched, though I instantly shrugged it off.

"I-it's nice to m-meet you, Bella," Alice murmured sheepishly as she withdrew her hand. I watched her as she subtly—or so she thought she was being subtle—brought her hand to her nose and sniffed it, closing her eyes and smiling for a few seconds before putting her hand down.

My lips twitched slightly, but I responded in kind. "Likewise, Alice."

I glanced down at the assignment sheet in front of me at that point, scanning it briefly to see what garbage assignment the teacher was making us do. I snorted to myself, since I already knew the answers to every question.

It would be rude of me to just do all of them, though, without working with the girl sitting next to me, wouldn't it? That was part of the assignment, I suppose, but I had a feeling that it would be incredibly awkward working with her, especially because of what I knew. I wondered if she knew or if she remembered at all. Could she have? It was so long ago that I doubted it. Still.

I wasn't sure what to do or say. Do I ask her about the questions? What to do…

Alice, as if sensing my confusion, spoke up. "Um, how do you w-want to do this?" she asked, stammering slightly. I noticed that she seemed to stutter quite a bit while talking to me, which I found rather confusing. Did I scare her? She didn't stutter when she talked with Jessica Stanley and the other girls are that table. I frowned in concentration, then realized she was waiting for an answer. I seemed to be spacing out a lot today. Sigh.

"I don't know," I admitted, trying not to sound too harsh. "I already know most of these things."

She bit her lip and nodded. "I do too, a-actually. I did them last year…"

Again she stammered as she spoke. Was I really that off-putting?

I turned away from her and just started writing down answers. I didn't have the patience to fool around with a human like this, especially not someone that I didn't even know. I could feel her eyes on me several times throughout the remainder of class, though whenever I looked up, she was looking away, usually down at her paper.

One thing that I was aware of was the heavy air of awkwardness that seemed to float around the two of us. Neither one of us spoke to the other throughout the remainder of class. I knew she was sneaking glances at me, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't doing the same. It bothered me and confused me, though. Why was I so drawn to this girl?

My attention was shattered by a loud, obnoxious sound. The bell was ringing. Class was…over?

I gaped in surprise at the clock on the wall and saw that class had indeed ended. Where the time had gone, I didn't know, but I felt relief flood through me. I was beginning to dread the awkwardness between Alice and I, so getting out of here was a good thing. I snuck one last glance at the blue eyed girl next to me and speedily began packing my things. A minute later I was standing and speedily making my way towards the door, aware that Alice's eyes were following me, even as I opened the door and exited the room.

I decided seconds upon exiting the classroom that I wasn't in the mood to deal with another damn class, so I did what any of my family members would do: ditch. It wasn't considered the best thing to most, but I believed that ditching was incredibly healthy.

I silently made departed from the school and sauntered over to Rosalie's car, hopping into the backseat and laying down to stare at the sky. I popped my headphones in, turned up the volume on my iPod and shut my eyes as the music started to blare, shutting out the rest of the world and letting my mind wander about.

My brain was barraged by various thoughts and questions, most of them relating to the sweet smelling human that I'd encountered inside. A part of me wanted to get to know her, to be friends with her, even though she was a human. The other part wanted to kill her, of course. That scared me, especially since I'd had many accidents in the past.

That reminded me of an experience I had had several years ago, the one time when I'd gotten close to a human. That was something I would never be able to forget because it was forever brandished into my mind.

_I was sitting silently in the house of a human that I had grown attached to. It was a girl, seventeen years old like I was—or at least, the age that my body was forever frozen in, though she didn't need to know that. I didn't know why I'd allowed myself to become attached to a human. I didn't see her as a mate, more so just a friend. Someone who liked a lot of the same things that I liked, who thought like me, acted like me._

_She was my first best friend that wasn't a member of my family._

_Her name was Anna, which was apparently short for Annabelle. I found that humorous since my full name was Isabella, which I liked, but I preferred Bella for simplicity's sake. She was a decent sized girl with shoulder length dirty blonde hair and brown eyes. She was pretty, I could attest to that, but I wasn't physically attracted to her. Or was I?_

_It was a hot day in the middle of autumn in the town that we were staying in. The sun wasn't out, yet the temperature was still in the eighties, which was hot for a human, apparently, even though I felt no different. The problem was that it was the kind of day that was apparently meant to torment my kind by making humans perspire. And oh how amazing they smelled when they did._

_I was arrogant. I thought that I'd trained myself better, that I could control myself around humans, despite the number of slip-ups I'd had in the past. Those accidents haunted me day in and day out, each and every time I was near another human. I tried to shut them out, but they always seemed to get through._

_I was tired of them. Tired of being weak and feeling vulnerable. I wanted to prove to myself and to the others that I could handle being around humans. I needed to be strong for them, so that I wouldn't screw up anymore. That was why I allowed myself to get close to this human._

_Looking back, it was a horrible mistake._

_Anna walked into the living room where I was, wearing clothes that hugged her body and exposed a good portion of her skin. She was already dripping sweat as she sat down, grinning ear to ear at me for reasons I didn't get._

"_So, what do you want to do today?" she asked._

_I didn't answer her at first. My nostrils flared when her scent hit them, a sweet, mouthwatering flavor made even more tantalizing by her sweat. I tried to ignore the aroma, but that only made things worse when I became aware of her heart beating rhythmically in her chest._

_Heart. Blood. Sweet, sweet blood calling me, singing to me._

_Venom pooled into my mouth and I almost gagged on it when I forced it back, trying hard not to think about how delicious the person in front of me smelled. _

"_Bella?" she asked, sounding concerned. "Are you alright?"_

_I grimaced and forced myself to respond. "I'm fine," I replied, making sure not to breathe when I spoke, fearing that it would be the end of me. And her._

_She furrowed her brow, clearly not convinced, but shrugged it off and stood up._

"_I'm gonna make myself something to eat. Are you hungry?"_

"_No," I replied._

_She shrugged again. "Suit yourself." _

_Anna headed into the kitchen at that point and I sped over to the nearest window, flinging it open and sticking my head outside to breathe in fresh air. I breathed in and out several times in order to alleviate the scent from my nostrils. _

"_I don't think I can do this…" I muttered, cursing myself for being stupid enough to put myself in this situation._

_I was NOT ready yet. It was too soon. I still needed time and training. _

"_Ow!" Anna whimpered from the kitchen. "Great, now I have to get a Band-Aid…"_

_Oh no. Don't tell me-_

"_Bella, can you grab me a Band-Aid? I just cut myself."_

_I froze where I stood. No. No, no, no. Not now, not here, not her!_

_I stopped breathing altogether, knowing that if I did, it would be over. The smell of blood was my biggest weakness. I couldn't handle being near it, no matter how hard I tried. I'd tasted it before, and once you tasted it, you could never NOT crave it._

"_Bella?" Anna called. "Are you okay"_

_Don't come in here, please don't come in here. And of course, she walked in, looking rather worriedly at me. My eyes instantly fell to the palm of her left hand, which had the rich red liquid smeared on it in a medium sized gash._

_I felt my throat starting to constrict and burn as venom rushed back into my mouth. _

_Blood._

_No, I couldn't. She was my friend. I couldn't hurt her._

"_Bella, snap out of it. You're scaring me. Are you...whoa, what's with your eyes?" Anna asked, stepping towards me._

_My throat felt like an inferno. I grimaced. I couldn't take this much more. I needed her blood._

"_A…Anna…" I whimpered._

_Speaking those words was the end. The moment I opened my mouth, I breathed in the smell of her blood and my world became distorted. Hunger became my only need and I blocked everything out as I lunged with my teeth bared. I felt my teeth sink into flesh, I heard a muffled scream and I tasted the rich, heavenly blood that started pouring into my mouth…_

"_Bella."_

_I could hear her heart slowly fading, her breaths becoming smaller and smaller as the beast within me purred with satisfaction for its meal. _

"_Bella!"_

I snapped out of my memories and realized that I was surrounded by the worried faces of my siblings, all of them standing around the car. Rosalie was on top of me, gently gripping my shoulders, her golden eyes blazing with concern. I blinked and sat up, feeling a wave of calm from Jasper that helped clear the haze in the back of my head. I didn't fail to notice the amount of venom that was sloshing about in my mouth, which I forced back.

"What? What?" I choked out, staring at Rosalie. "What happened?"

Rosalie let out a breath of relief. "You scared us is what happened. Are you okay, Bella? Jasper found you lying back, but he could feel the thirst radiating off of you."

Thirst? No, I wasn't thirsty. I was just remembering...

I gulped when I realized the burn in my throat and silently cursed my luck. Thinking back to how amazing feeding on that girl had been made my inner monster hungry for more blood, despite the fact that I had just gotten done drinking blood not too long ago.

"I-I'm fine," I lied, trying to ignore the burn and focus on other things.

"Bella…" Jasper sighed.

"Alright, I'll hunt when we get back!" I grunted, running my fingers through my hair.

"Go on, we'll take her home," Rosalie stated. "Em, could you…?"

Emmett nodded. "Yeah, no problem Rose."

They all shot me a concerned look before everyone left and piled into Jasper's car. I watched Jasper drive off and sighed, putting my face in my hands. What was wrong with me?

Rosalie silently pulled me into her arms. "Bella, what's wrong? You're scaring me. First you start acting weird at lunch, then this. Is something bothering you? Was it that you almost killed that Newton punk today? You know that isn't that big of a deal. Nothing happened."

"That's not it," I murmured, resting my head on her shoulder.

"Then what is it?" she asked. "Please, Bella. Tell me."

"I…I don't know, Rose," I admitted. "I don't know what's wrong with me and its scaring me to death, but I can't figure out what to do about it. I just don't know."

Rosalie pursed her lips, a pained look on her face. "Maybe you should talk with Carlisle and Esme," she suggested. "They might be able to help, or at the very least Carlisle can tell you what to do about it."

"I suppose so. But what if they can't help me?" I asked. "What if-"

She cut me off by placing a finger to my lips. "Don't start thinking that way, Bella. You can't be negative about it, alright? Now get your ass in gear and let's head home so that you can hunt. I can go with you again, if you'd like?"

I thought about it as we broke away and quickly jumped into our respective seats.

"No thank you," I replied, staring down at the glove compartment. "I think I'd like a bit of time to myself for once."

She nodded in understanding and started the car. "Don't get mauled by a bear."

I rolled my eyes, a small smile forming. "You mean like you got mauled by that Chihuahua?

"Fuck you," Rosalie snorted, smiling.

My smile grew as I turned to her. "Is that an offer?" I asked teasingly.

Rosalie didn't respond, though she was smirking. She pealed out of her parking spot, making sure to gather the attention of half of the student body as she did. As she sped out of the parking lot, I caught sight of a pair of crystal eyes watching after us, a strange look on the face of the owner of those eyes. I pushed that image out of my mind and sat in silence with my head back and eyes closed, soaking in the day's events.

"Say, where'd my iPod go?" I inquired.

"Your backpack," she replied. "What, did you think I would steal your precious music?"

I smirked. "No, because you know I'd torch your precious designer clothes if you did."

Rosalie laughed for a moment before pausing and shifting uncomfortably in her seat, shooting me a slightly fearful look.

"You're not serious, are you?"

I held back a giggle at her facial expression, choosing not to reply to her question. Rosalie scowled, but she remained silent as well, thankful for the newly formed calmness in the air between the two of us. Another minute and we had pulled into our driveway where the others were patiently waiting for us. I grimaced, knowing that they would want to talk and shot Rosalie a pleading look. I just wanted to be by myself for a little while.

Rosalie nodded. "Go on, I'll talk with them."

"Thanks," I replied before jumping out of the car and dashing into the woods.

My throat became hot again as the thirst returned, this time stronger than it had been before. I grimaced and tried to keep it down until I'd found something to feed upon. Luckily, upon sniffing the air I was able to locate a few deer, which I believed to be a part of the pack that Rosalie and I had hunted last night. I didn't mess around this time and lunged for the nearest one, sinking my teeth into the side of its neck as it toppled downwards.

Draining the helpless creature of its life-force did ease the burn, but the end result made me feel odd with so much blood inside of me. The blood in my stomach sloshed around as I stood up, a weird feeling that I was unaccustomed to. Normally the thirst would not return for a few days unless I'd smelled human blood, which hadn't happened yet.

That was why I was worried. All these strange feelings, the increase in thirst…

All of this because of that human girl. Alice Brandon.

I stared up the sky as I subconsciously wiped the blood from my lips with my wrist, wondering why one human was affecting me in such a way. It made no sense to me, and that very fact was terrifying, even for a vampire as old as I was.

So I thought about it. I found a spot under a tree, sat down and thought to myself. I thought about all the feelings and urges I'd been experiencing, about what had happened in the past, about _him_ and how if he were to find out what I was feeling, he would try and use it against me. I imagined Alice, her beautiful face and ocean blue eyes. So innocent.

No. I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't have a repeat of what happened with Anna, my first and only human friend. I had taken years for me to move on from her death, and even now I still couldn't forgive myself for what I'd done. I couldn't bear for that to happen again, especially when I'd already saved Alice's life once before.

Thinking all these things, I decided on something.

I decided that I would stay away from this girl. I didn't care how good she smelled or how drawn to her I was; I refused to put her life in danger. I couldn't risk getting close to her and having her die. I couldn't take another innocent life or ruin the lives of my family again. So no matter what, I would be civil towards her, but I would do nothing more. No pursuing a friendship, no getting close, none of that. I had to keep my distance.

I felt…relieved upon making the decision. My head was clearer and I was feeling much better. I decided that it was best I return home now, since staying out would likely cause my siblings to worry more about me. I felt bad that they were worried so much about what was going on with me, but I wasn't sure if I should tell them yet about what was going on.

"No," I muttered, shaking my head. "Not now."

I did, however, want to talk with Carlisle. He and Esme deserved know what was going on, and I owed them the truth about the situation that had occurred all those years ago. I hadn't told them initially because I was too set on trying to chase Edward down, but now it was just stupid of me to keep it a secret. They were my parents; they had a right to know that I'd exposed myself.

With all of that done, I trekked back towards the house at an even pace, not in much of a hurry to be bombarded by questions. I felt a pang of guilt as I exited the forest and made my way up the stairs and inside, immediately greeted by a hug from Esme.

"Hello, Bella," she greeted merrily. "How are you feeling, dear?"

"Alright," I murmured as I hugged her back.

"That's good," she replied. We stayed that way for about two minutes or so, though the time felt much longer because of my vampiric senses. Esme's hugs were magic, I swear. Every time that woman hugged someone they felt better instantaneously. It was amazing.

When she pulled away, she pressed her lips softly to mine in a warm kiss, then gracefully moved away. I could feel the gazes of my other family members upon me and remembered that Carlisle was likely still at work, thus eliminating my initial escape plan.

"I'm fine, guys," I grunted. "I just needed to hunt."

"You hunted the other night," Victoria mused, furrowing her fiery brow. "It's not like you to hunt so much in such a short period of time, Bella."

"I know, Tori," I sighed. "But really, I'm fine. Honest."

Jasper's lips twitched. "She's…telling the truth."

I rolled my eyes. "See? I'm fine. If there was a problem, I'd let you know, alright?"

"Are you positive?" Jane inquired, moving over to me.

"Yes, Jane, I'm positive," I replied, patting her head.

Her golden eyes smoldered with unyielding concern and I could tell that she didn't believe my words, not in the slightest. She didn't argue on, though. None of them did, which I was eternally thankful for. If anything, they knew that I hated troubling them with my own personal problems, which was true for the most part.

I kissed Jane on the forehead, then smoothly moved past her and up the stairs to my room, where I planned to wait for Carlisle to return home. I glanced at the clock on my wall and saw that I only had another hour to wait, which wouldn't take too long. So I laid back on my bed and looked up at the ceiling, thinking to myself about what I'd learned today.

An image of Alice's face appeared, staring back at me with somber eyes. It was almost as if my mind was trying to show me how she would react to finding out about my decision, which I thought was utterly ridiculous. I kicked the imagery away and closed my eyes, breathing in the sweet smells of the house and relaxing.

I still could not get one thing out of my head, no matter how hard I tried.

What was wrong with me?

**A/N: What indeed. We will have to wait and see, won't we? Of course, some of you will already know because I'm either too obvious or you're too smart (dang brainy smart people makin' me feel dumb :P).**

**Congrats, you get a double dose of Hollowgo (I figured you gals and guys would enjoy an overdose of awesomeness :P) in one day. Happy day!**


	7. The Truth?

**Disclaimer: If you know me, then you know that I am not Stephanie Meyer or associated with her in any way, so therefore, I own nothing save for original characters and ideas.**

**The Truth?**

Something was wrong. What was it, though? I was lying on my bed, looking at the ceiling in silence, thinking to myself. There was something missing, though, and I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was. Oh, _now_ I remembered. I didn't have my music.

I always listened to music when I was feeling down or bored. Music was my escape, and without it I wasn't able to relax as easily, which sucked. I guess I didn't need music, but it would sure as hell help kill time until Carlisle got home.

My thoughts were jarred by a soft knock on my door. There were only three people who ever knocked on my door when it was shut, and since Carlisle wasn't home, that left only two options: Esme or Jasper. And just through feeling a wave of calm envelop me, I knew already that it was the latter, likely come to check on me.

"Come in," I sighed.

The door opened and Jasper walked in, bowing slightly as he shut the door behind him. Normally shutting the door would be considered pointless in a house full of vampires, but each of our rooms was reinforced to where it was soundproof, even to our ears. That gave us some much needed privacy whenever we were in need of it, which wasn't often. Well, for me it wasn't, but for the others and their "activities", it was a Godsend.

I sat up on my bed and motioned for Jasper to sit down, which he did. He leaned his back against my wall as I crossed my legs, watching as his tawny eyes met mine.

"Jazz, I'm fine. How many times do I have to say that?" I asked.

Jasper sighed. "Your emotions are telling me otherwise, Bella. I came here to talk with you about your feelings, not to force you into anything. I'm concerned and so are the others. We know you're lying about how you're feeling, Bella."

I mentally smacked myself for not remembering something as obvious as Jasper's gift, especially when his gift had helped me out several times this day. I forgot that he would have known my exact feelings and that he would be the most knowledgeable with what I was going through. I grimaced upon realizing this and ran a hand through my hair nervously.

Jasper sent me a small wave of calm and shook his head. "Bella, you don't have to be nervous. I just wanted to talk with you and see what the problem was."

I hung my head. "I don't know, Jazz. It's driving me insane and I don't know what it is."

Jasper nodded in understanding and took on a more thoughtful look as he appraised me.

"Perhaps if we go back to when you first started experiencing these strange feelings, we may be able to figure out the problem?"

"Well, uh, I suppose so…"

He pulled up his right leg slightly and rested both arms on it as he studied me.

"When did you first begin experiencing these feelings?" he inquired in a gentle tone.

"Last night when I was hunting," I replied. Jasper nodded again and silently waited for me to continue on. I did so grudgingly. "While I was hunting, I chased after a deer because I wanted to have a bit of fun. It was stupid of me to do because I got so caught up that I didn't realize that I was getting close to humans, so I killed the deer and fed off of it. That was when I smelled something that was intoxicatingly sweet and it, well, it sort of drew me in…"

"You mean like at lunch today?" Jasper inquired, cocking his head to the side.

I nodded sheepishly. "I-it was the same smell and…the same person as last night."

"What happened last night?"

"N-nothing!" I stammered. Jasper quirked an eyebrow at my obvious lie. "Alright, look. I was curious about why there would be someone out that late and the scent was really strong, so I moved towards it stealthily. That was when I stumbled onto a human girl who looked like she was looking for something. And her scent…God, it was _fantastic_. I couldn't stop myself from getting near her because it was so strong, but then she looked up and almost caught me."

"I see," he mused.

"That's when Rose found me. She pulled me away and I almost started fighting her to go back, and I didn't understand why. It was so confusing. And then I saw her today at school and recognized her from before-"

Jasper smoothly cut me off. "Wait, hold on a second. This human from the other night was at our school, too?"

"Yes," I replied.

"It wouldn't happen to be the new girl, would it? Alice Brandon?"

I gaped at him. "How did…?" Wait. Stupid question. Of course he knew that.

Jasper smiled wryly. "It was obvious the moment your eyes met in the cafeteria, Bella. Your emotions were all over the place and so were hers."

"What was she feeling?" I asked suddenly, finding myself more curious than I should have been.

Jasper seemed mildly surprised by my outburst, but his surprise dissipated relatively fast.

"Surprise, worry, excitement, awe," Jasper replied, listing each emotion. "In truth, her emotions were jumbled and I had a hard time discerning between them. I wasn't focusing on her emotions too, since I was more concerned with calming the others down and trying to figure out why you were feeling the emotions you had at the time."

I furrowed my brow. "What was _I_ feeling?"

"Mostly shock, with a bit of fear and confusion mixed in. There was something else though; something that I believe was more subconscious. I barely caught it since you were gone by the time it had registered to me, so I'm not quite certain what it was," he admitted.

"That stinks," I groaned. "Now what am I supposed to do, Jasper?"

"Have you considered speaking with Carlisle?"

"Yeah, I planned on it once he got home," I replied.

Jasper gave me a small smile. "Good. That's the best advice I can offer you, since neither of us know what it is that's going on. I hope you know that if you need to talk, I'm here for you, as are all of the others. Victoria's especially worried about her favorite little sister."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not her favorite, Jazz."

He chuckled throatily. "Oh, but you are. She loves Jane and Rosalie immensely, but her bond with you is far stronger than the ones she has with them. You should know that since you're the one that brought her into this family, after all."

"Alright, alright, I get it. I know they're worried, and I know that you're worried. But I don't know _what's_ wrong with me, so there's really no point in them worrying. Can you try to reassure them a little bit? Please?"

Jasper ran a hand through his long wavy hair. "I will. And I know you don't mean for us to worry, Bella, it's just how we are. I'm sure Carlisle can give you some answers or some advice at the very least, right?"

"I'm sure of it," I stated, glancing at the clock. Three fifty-seven. Good. Carlisle would be home very soon, since he got out of work at four o'clock. Jasper glanced in the direction that I was looking in and chuckled, shaking his head.

"You certainly are an impatient one," he mused.

"Oh, shut up," I growled playfully. "Why don't you and your fire-crotch go jump in the bushes together or whatever it is you do in your spare time."

Jasper quirked an eyebrow at me. "You stole that from Emmett, didn't you?" he asked.

I huffed. "So? Is it my fault that I'm not good with insults? Seriously, just go already."

He chuckled and tousled my hair. "You are something else, dear sister. But yes, Carlisle will be home soon and you'll want to speak with him about your problems. I hope it goes well. Just remember that if you need to talk with me or Tori or anyone else, you just have to ask. You aren't being a burden on us, Bella. Don't ever think otherwise, alright?"

I nodded. "Yes, Jazz. I'll remember that." We both got off my bed at the same time. He smiled and nodded to me before walking towards the door. "Oh…Jasper?"

He turned and peered over his shoulder. "Yes, Bella?"

I walked over and hugged him. "Thanks."

"Any time, sister," he replied, hugging me back.

Once we broke away, both of us walked out of my room at the exact same time that Carlisle walked into the house. I could both hear his soft footsteps and smell his honey scent emanating upstairs as Jasper and I both blurred down to greet him. Esme had already enveloped her husband in one of her traditional hugs while the others greeted him in turn.

"Hello everyone," Carlisle greeted. "How was your first day at school."

"Awful," Rosalie groaned.

"Boring," Jane grunted.

Emmett laughed. "I thought it was a little entertaining."

"I thought it stunk," Victoria complained. "I don't see how it could be fun in any way, Em."

"He's probably referring to the incident with Rosalie," Riley snickered.

Carlisle appraised his daughter. "What happened, Rosalie?" he asked, a hint of mirth in his eyes.

"Nothing," she replied, attempting to look innocent. Rosalie innocent? Yeah, right.

"She tried to maul one of the students," Jane giggled, turning her head when Rosalie shot her one of her trademark death glares. "What? It's true, Rosie. You _did_ try to kill her. Well, you may not have intended to, but you sure as hell wanted to, from what Riley told me."

"Rosalie," Esme scolded, shaking her head. "What happened this time?"

"Nothing, I swear! All I did was chase the little bitch around!" she groaned. "That and threaten to rip her head off, but aside from that…"

Esme pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head, sighing. Rosalie had the good grace to look a little sheepish about her actions, though I knew that she didn't regret it one bit. Esme, despite the reproving look on her face, was unable to hide the obvious amusement in her eyes as her lips twitched. I give the woman credit; she knows how to keep a straight face.

Carlisle chuckled softly, then walked over to where Jasper and I were. "Bella, Jasper," he greeted in his always-gentle voice.

"Carlisle," Jasper and I greeted in unison.

"How did your days go?" Carlisle asked, genuinely curious.

Jasper and I both looked at one another before Jasper responded. "My day was fine, thank you."

Carlisle nodded. "And yours, Bella?"

I bit my lip. "It was…interesting."

I didn't fail to notice a few sideways glances from my other siblings as Carlisle appraised me curiously, obviously noting the tone of my voice. He didn't make a verbal comment on it, though, and merely nodded his head.

"That is good," he replied. "Well then, I am glad that, despite a few minor discrepancies, that all of you had a decent first day at school. I am sorry that things aren't as good as you would like, but I trust that you will adapt, as you always have. Now, unless anyone needs my immediate attention, I am heading up to my office."

"Alright, dear," Esme said, smiling.

"Dude, rematch," Emmett boomed, nudging Victoria. "You too, Jazz."

Jasper smirked and, after giving me a brief look, sauntered over to his mate and brother, plopping down on the couch alongside them to play a game. Rosalie decided to join in with them while Jane and Riley both watched on. Esme hummed to herself and danced outside, likely to tend to her flower garden in the back of the house.

"Bella, would you like to talk?" Carlisle asked softly.

I nodded. "Yes."

He nodded and started walking up the stairs, me a step behind him. I started tossing around how I would approach the subject at hand, namely asking him about these strange feelings and urges that I've been having for the past day and a half. Of course, I would have to tell him about the incident several years ago first, since that had a bit to do with it, too. Plus the Brandon girl, since she seemed to be a key part in all of this for reasons I didn't understand.

Carlisle held the door to his office room open for me, beckoning me inside. I smiled and gave him an appreciative nod before walking inside and seating myself in the comfortable chair in front of his desk, resting my chin on my palms. Carlisle calmly strode past me and seated himself in the chair behind his desk, clasping his hands together and giving me a thoughtful look.

"What's wrong, Bella?" he asked, clearly concerned. "You look troubled."

"You could say that…" I murmured, running a hand through my hair.

"Did something happen at school today?"

"Sort of," I replied. Damn it. Why was this so hard to get out?

"Bella, you know you can tell me anything," Carlisle said gently.

"I know, Carlisle," I sighed. "This is…a bit hard for me to get out, that's all."

He nodded in understanding. "I know, dear. You don't have to say anything if you choose not to, that's your right. I would like to help you in any way I can, though, because I can tell that there's something bothering you. I could see it in your eyes and in the other's eyes, Esme's especially, that there was something wrong. Please, share your thoughts."

I took in an unnecessary breath in order to figure out how I was going to explain this to him.

"Alright," I started, biting my lip. "Well, ever since the other night, I've been getting these really weird feelings and urges. I can't really describe them because I've never felt these types of things before, but they're really confusing and bothering me."

He nodded, taking on a thoughtful look. "Was there a specific moment in which you started to feel these strange urges? When you arrive home, perhaps?"

I shook my head. "No, I started feeling them when I went hunting with Rose," I explained.

"Interesting," he mused. "What happened while you were hunting?"

"Well, uh, I kinda chased after a deer because I wanted to have a bit of fun with it. I got so caught up with chasing it that I almost went into the town, so I killed it and fed from it before that could happen. That was when I smelled a human nearby…" I paused and sighed. "I, uh, I was curious about why a human would be out that late at night, so I kinda crept towards the scent, which was…just incredible."

He clasped his hands together, eyeing me curiously. "Describe this scent, if you would."

"It was…rich and sweet. It smelled like chocolate to me. It was probably the most delicious smelling scent I've ever been around. And I felt so drawn to it, Carlisle. Like it was a magnet pulling me in from afar. The strangest part was that I didn't feel thirsty when I smelled it, I felt all tingly inside and the urge to get as close to it as possible."

"I see," he murmured, rubbing his chin. "That is interesting, to say the least. What of the human in question? Did you get close to him or her?"

"It was a girl," I replied. "I, uh, I didn't know who she was at first because Rosalie grabbed me and dragged me off before anything could happen. It was weird because I felt like I wanted to go back to her despite the fact that she was a human. And then today it school, I found out that it's the Brandon's daughter, Alice. What really confused me was that, during lunch, I was the only one who could smell her scent the way that I did. It didn't stand out to the others the same way."

Carlisle cocked his head to the side. "Do you know this girl from somewhere, Bella?"

"Uh, well, kind of," I admitted, turning away from him.

"How so?" he inquired gently. "You do not have to respond if you don't want to."

I sighed again. "Do you remember about eleven years ago, when I came home looking rather…"

"Upset?" he finished, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, upset," I blanched, remembering that day again. I'd come home feeling more nervous and paranoid then I'd ever felt before. Jasper and Esme both calmed me down, but I refused to tell them anything. My mind had been a jumble from everything that had happened involving Edward's appearance and my exposure to the human, even though she was just a girl.

"Something happened back then," Carlisle murmured. He could tell by the look in my eyes right away that there was something I was keeping from him. He didn't look hurt or upset like I thought he would, just concern for me.

"I…I…" I grimaced. "I exposed myself, Carlisle, to a human. And that same human is now going to school with me, the very same human whose scent calls to me every time I'm near her, even though I try to keep away. The worst part is that every time I look at her, I see her when she was a child when I exposed myself to her to save her life."

"What happened?" Carlisle asked, no change in his demeanor.

"It was _him_," I seethed, remembering the twisted smirk on his face as he attempted to end the life of an innocent child.

Carlisle's face darkened. "I see. What did he do?"

"He tried t-to _kill_ her," I breathed, shaking my head. "He tried to murder a little human girl, Carlisle. He would have run her straight over without a care in the world, and I know that he wanted to do it to torment me because of my weak control. I couldn't let him do it. I couldn't sit by and watch someone so innocent and pure die at the hands of a murderous bastard. So, despite the fact that it was sunny out, I leapt forward and grabbed her, saving her from being killed."

I ran the tips of my fingers through my long hair, staring down at the floor. Thinking of Edward always made me feel both sick and angry, like I could vomit despite the fact that there was no bile inside of my system anymore. I let out a shaky breath as I dispelled the images of the person I loathed most in all existence and looked at Carlisle, wondering what he was thinking.

Carlisle appraised me with placid eyes. "You did the right thing, Bella," he stated softly. "Saving that girl's life, even though you had to expose yourself to her, was the right decision to make, even if there had been other humans around. I take it that there weren't any others around at this time, were there?"

"No," I replied. "It was just her, which was weird because I wondered why any sane parents would allow their child to go out on their own like that."

He nodded again, agreeing with me. "What happened after you had to step into the sunlight in order to save her from being hurt?"

"She just looked at me," I replied, shrugging. "I turned her around and ran off as fast as I could, not even caring at that point if anyone else could see me. I was scared and worried and angry about Edward being there. But as I ran, I felt the urge to run back to her. It was a fainter version of the urges and feelings I've felt ever since I saw her again."

Carlisle seemed to think of something, pursing his lips as he did. "This is all very interesting to hear about. I have a theory of what it might be, but I am not one hundred percent certain on it as of yet." He tapped his chin thoughtfully before meeting my eyes. "Thank you for telling me all of this, Bella. I am glad that you have gotten it off of your conscience."

"You're not mad at me?" I asked, surprised.

Carlisle chuckled. "Heavens no, dear. Why would I be mad at you? You did a good thing by saving that girl's life. There is no reason for me to be upset with you."

"He's right, honey." I blinked and turned to see Esme standing near the doorway. "You don't have to apologize for doing what you felt was right." She walked over to me and wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into a warm, loving hug.

"Esme…" I breathed, nuzzling into the crook of her neck. "How long…?"

She chuckled and squeezed me lovingly. "I've been listening through the door since you began to talk. I only decided to enter a moment ago because I could tell that you needed some reassurance. Honestly, Bella, as if your father or I could ever be angry with you over something like that. And what is this crap about me not getting let in on this secret, hm? Do you not trust your mother dearest to be a part of your story?"

I blanched. "Wha-no, no, that's not it at all, Esme. I just…I wasn't…"

Esme giggled and kissed me gently on the lips. "Hush now, sweetheart. You know I'm only playing around with you. You don't have to worry, I'm sure you would have told me about it eventually. I just couldn't resist listening in on it. But in all seriousness, we're not mad at you, honey. We're proud that you did what you did and we're sorry we weren't there to help you."

"Thanks mama," I murmured, hugging her tighter to me.

"Any time, dear, any time," she cooed. "Now, what's this I hear from Jasper about a young lady who's caught your eye, hm?"

I gaped at her. "Wait, what now?" I asked.

Esme pulled away from me slightly and lifted an eyebrow. "Don't try playing coy with me, little missy. So tell me, what's this girl's name? Do I get to meet her? Is she cute? Oh, I wonder if-"

"Esme!" I whined. "Stop! There is no girl that I like and I would certainly _not_ bring her here!"

Esme put her hands on her hips and pouted rather petulantly. "Well _why_ not?" she huffed. I forgot how childish Esme could be at times. It was usually a fun childish, sometimes even a cute childish, but it still surprised me every time I saw her that way. I mean, being the matriarch of the family, one would think that Esme would be more down-to-earth and serious. Nope. Not really. Not unless one of us was in danger or hurt, that is.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and shot Carlisle a glare when he chuckled in amusement.

"Esme, trust me, there's no one. I…" I paused and furrowed my brow in confusion. "I thought you said you'd been listening in to our conversation? I thought you knew what we were talking about was something different entirely, not some type of interest or anything."

Esme glanced at Carlisle. The two of them had one of their trademark silent conversations for a good minute or so while I looked between them, frowning at being left out. Once they'd finished, Esme turned to me and gently touched my shoulder, jarring me from my thoughts.

"Bella, may I speak with you for a moment?" she asked.

"Um, sure," I replied, standing.

She led me out of Carlisle's office and into her own personal room, where she often spent her time painting or drawing. I always loved Esme's room. It was such a bright, cheerful place full of beautiful paintings and other amazing works of art, like a sculpture of each of her family members and a perfectly drawn rendition of her and Carlisle's marriage. I often came in here to watch her work, astounded by how skillful she truly was.

Esme sat down on her usual chair and gestured for me to do the same, which I did. We sat in silence for a minute and a half as Esme collected her thoughts before she broke the silence.

"Did I ever tell you how your father and I met?" she inquired.

I bit my lip. "You were a teenager and you broke your leg while climbing a tree."

She nodded. "Yes, that's correct. Did I ever tell you how I felt when I first saw him?"

I blinked and thought back on it. "No, I don't think you ever did," I replied. "Why?"

Esme's warm amber eyes met mine and held my gaze as she spoke.

"When I first saw Carlisle, I was enamored by him. I'd never laid eyes on anyone as handsome or gentle looking in all of my life. I was so surprised that I couldn't even speak when he asked me for my name. It was quite embarrassing, actually." She paused and chuckled at the memory before sobering up and continuing. "He spent a good portion of his time just talking to me once I'd been treated. I felt so attached to him, like I'd known him all of my life. More than that, I felt empty whenever he was away from me and wanted to always be near him. I didn't understand it at the time, of course, but I was a child at that time."

"You were still human, too," I pointed out.

"That is true," she agreed.

"So how did you feel when you were released from the hospital?" I inquired.

"Devastated," she admitted. "I didn't know why, but I wanted badly to return to see him, even though I knew he was busy with his work. I never saw him again for many years because he left shortly after I'd been released. I always had him in the back of my mind, even as I grew older and tried dating other men. I had dreams about him from time to time and I would always imagine that I'd heard his voice or smelled his rich honey scent, which I thought was cologne."

"I remember how I felt when he changed me. How I felt so connected to him, in ways I never thought possible. I felt drawn to him despite barely knowing him and I felt as though that I would give the world for him to be safe. It was…strange at first, but he felt similar feelings. We allowed ourselves the opportunity to explore our feelings and came to one conclusion. We felt the way we felt towards one another because he was my mate, and I his."

I bit my lip and absorbed the information that she was telling me. It made sense. Esme and Carlisle were meant for one another, there was no way around it. You'd have to be blind, deaf and insane not to see the genuine love between the two of them. They were soul mates.

"Rosalie told me something similar long ago when her and Emmett ended up getting together, the same with Jasper and Victoria and Jane and Riley," I murmured, running a hand through my hair. "It makes sense, really, that you would know."

Esme looked at me placidly. "Bella, honey. There's a reason why I told you this."

I furrowed my brow. "Why?"

"Think about it, sweetheart. Think about how you felt when you saw this girl all those years ago and think about how you felt when you saw her now. Think long and hard on it."

I frowned, but did as she asked and thought about it. I remembered each emotion, each urge…

Wait.

"No," I breathed, gaping at her. "That's….that can't…that can't be right."

"Bella," Esme soothed.

"No," I stood up from the chair abruptly. "No!"

"Bella," Esme sighed, her voice still gentle, but a tad firmer. "You can't deny your feelings."

"I-but, y-you don't mean that…" I trailed off and plopped back down, staring at her. "That girl, Alice, she's…she's…" I was at a loss for words. This couldn't be happening. It didn't make any sense. No, there was no way…

"Go ahead and say it, dear," Esme urged, grabbing my hands and rubbing circles into the backs of them with her thumbs.

"My mate," I breathed. "Alice Brandon is my _mate_?"

Esme nodded. "Both your father and I believe so, dear. The way you reacted when you talked about her, how you described the feelings that you were having. Jasper even told me when I asked him about them, showing me what you were feeling. It was the same way that I felt when I first saw Carlisle all those years ago, the very same."

"But she's a _human_!" I exclaimed. "There's no way that she could possibly be my mate. I mean, I don't feel anything…"

I thought back on it, all the feelings I'd felt when my eyes connected with those piercing crystal colored orbs. How drawn to her I was through her amazing scent, how much I wanted to be kind to her and to be near her despite not even knowing her.

It all clicked together in the back of my head.

"My God," I breathed, staring at Esme. "So she's really?"

Esme nodded and squeezed my hands. "Yes, dear. This girl, Alice Brandon, is your soul mate."

**A/N: Gasp! I didn't see that comi...oh, wait, yes I did. **

**Too soon for the revelation? Maybe. But Alice doesn't know yet, does she? So nyah. Ahem. In all seriousness, I do intend to draw this out a bit rather than jump in head first like some stories do. So while a few people might not be pleased, they will hopefully be pleased with knowing that it will be a while before Bella and Alice begin their relationship. But I won't say anything on it now, since there'd be no fun in that.**

**I hope that everyone is liking this story. I know, it might be a bit slow, but hey, it'll pick up as time goes on. **

**I liked writing a close Bella/Jasper sibling relationship. They never got that in the Twilight books, so I wanted to do them justice in my stories. There will be much more closeness between Bella and her other siblings, because I aim to give them all screen time. So the people who like good Jane and Victoria (and Riley, don't forget) will be able to see them develop more too. After all, if there's one thing I want people to know me for, it's for the way I characterize the characters. ;)**

**So...obligatory "I have three Tumblrs open" comment here. Might consider adding special Tumblr specific oneshots of some kind there, I haven't decided. Also, obligatory "go and read ManaMila's Fire's Angel" comment here. That story is a current favorite of mine and I really do think more people should read it. Other stories that deserve some attention are Stessa's "Once in a Blue Moon" and megster1992's "Full Moon". Just sayin'.**

**And I have some ideas for a few potential stories to work on once Blood Solstice ends. More details another time. Peace.**


	8. Denial

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, or it's characters. All I own are my OCs and ideas, that's it.**

**Denial**

_Mate. My mate. My soul mate. My forever._

I stared wistfully up at the clouds, the words echoing in the back of my head. Ever since Esme had told me that Alice Brandon was my mate, I couldn't get the word out of my head. I'd skipped school today to be alone and think to myself. I needed to clear my head, but that seemed fairly impossible right now given the situation.

_Was Alice my mate? Was that why I felt drawn to her the way I did? Was saving her all those years ago some sort of sign that we were meant to be?_

There were so many damn questions. Ugh. I couldn't take this. It didn't make any sense. She was a _human_. I was a damn _vampire_. I was the predator and she was my prey. That did not work, not in the slightest. There was no way she was my mate. There had to be another reason I was feeling these things. There just had to be…

Didn't there? Was I just pointlessly arguing with myself over this?

"Damn it," I cursed, covering my face with my hands. "Why's this have to be so difficult?"

"Why does what have to be so difficult?"

I moved my hands and looked up to see Jane standing a few feet away, her usual smirk in place.

"Jane. What are you doing here?" I asked, sitting up.

She plopped down next to me, her blonde locks bobbing. "I ditched. Figured I'd come see what was eating you up so bad that you didn't want to go to school today. Is it about that Newton jackass? Because if it is, I kicked him in the balls for trying to flirt with you the other day."

"Really?" I asked. I shouldn't have been surprised, but I was.

She sneered. "Yup and so did Riley. We had quite a nice little chat with the prick before school started and told him if he didn't stay away from you that I'd pull his intestines out of his belly button and strangle him with them."

I grinned back at her. "Nice."

"Ain't it, though? I kind of like being a psycho bitch sometimes. It has it's benefits."

"I feel bad for Riley," I chuckled.

Jane rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. He doesn't have it that bad. He's not whipped like Emmett, that's for damn sure. I can't believe how well Rosalie has that boy wrapped around her little finger. I swear, sometimes I think he's just letting her do it, but then I remember that he's not that bright, so really, he's just pussy whipped."

I chuckled and nodded. "That is true. I kinda feel bad for Em. But then, it's pretty funny to watch those two bicker all the time. It's like a real life sitcom." She giggled evilly in agreement and for a while we sat there in comfortable silence with each other.

I sighed and leaned my head back into the grass. Jane did so too, scooting closer to me. I wrapped my left arm around her out of habit and rested my head on her shoulder, Jane mimicking the motions with her right arm and laying against my head.

"So what's bothering you, big sister?" Jane asked.

I bit my lip. "Lots of things."

"Bella," Jane sighed, poking my stomach. "Don't pull that shit with me. I'm not gonna take it."

"I…it's complicated, Jane. I don't know where to begin…" I trailed off uncertainly.

"Uh, from the beginning, maybe?" she offered. I rolled my eyes. "Oh, come on. Do I have to make out with you like Rose does to get you talking? Because I _will_ if I have to. Actually, I kinda want to because Rose keeps bragging about how good a kisser you are…"

"Jane, please," I murmured. "I love you dearly, but I really don't feel like talking about it. It's not that I don't want to talk to you, I just don't know myself what's going on. It's all so confusing and weird and new to me. I feel torn up and twisted on the inside at the same time."

"That stinks," Jane murmured, kissing my cheek. "But I understand. Just…please don't hold it all in, Bella. I hate when you do that. It worries me and the others, too. Otherwise, I hope that you can find your answers."

"Yeah," I sighed. "Me too, Janie. Me too."

She growled playfully at me. "I told you to stop calling me that."

"And what are you going to do about it, Janie?" I asked, quirking an eyebrow.

Jane narrowed her eyes at me. "I'll torture you."

"No you won't."

"Yes I will," she countered.

I grinned and speedily flipped over so that I was on top of her. "Not if I kiss you."

"Then kiss me."

"Riley would like that," I chuckled, leaning down to peck her lips.

"He'd get a boner for sure," Jane snickered. "Course, I would too if that was possible."

"I bet you would," I teased.

"You want to go hunt with me?" Jane asked, changing the conversation. She was embarrassed because she knew it was true. How cute.

I nodded and rolled off of her before helping her up. We hugged for a few minutes, then broke apart and sprinted off into the woods to hunt. Jane glanced at me several times as we hunted and even after we'd killed a few deer. She was worried, and her eyes showed it. I hated to see her worry about me, but I didn't know what to tell her.

'_Hey sis, guess what? I found my mate, but she's a human, so I'll probably kill her.'_ Yeah, that didn't sound like it would go over well with anybody. I would hate to see how the others reacted if I were to tell them. I sighed internally as we made our way back to the house. I didn't know what to do right now. I felt lost.

Esme greeted us both with hugs. "Hello girls," she greeted, kissing both of us on the cheek. "Did you decide to leave early today or did you just not go to school?"

"I stayed home, Jane ditched," I replied, smirking as my sister pretended to look innocent.

Esme sighed and shook her head, a hint of mirth in her eyes. "You two are such stinkers sometimes, I swear. Oh well, no harm done. Come in, come in."

I laughed quietly. I loved how Esme was so nonchalant about us going to school. She didn't care about it because she knew we were all more than smart enough, but she did agree that it was necessary to keep up our image. Then again, she was always making up excuses for us to ditch school and stay home. Mom of the year? I'd say she was the mother of the universe.

Jane hugged both Esme and I, then went up to her room, likely to read or listen to her music.

"So, have you been thinking about what we talked about?" Esme asked once Jane's door shut.

I grimaced. "I don't think its right, Esme. She's a human and I'm—"

"—a vampire," Esme finished. Damn this woman knew me. "Bella, that's bullshit."

I gaped at her for a moment, startled by the obvious swear word. Esme wasn't one to swear under normal circumstances. Well, not when the others were around. With me, though, she was more comfortable with it. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. It was kinda funny, though.

"But it's true," I insisted. "And have you forgotten? My control stinks!"

Esme sighed and wrapped me into her arms. "Bella, sweetheart, you need to try and see things from a different perspective. You don't want to admit that you're feeling things because it's all new to you and because you're throwing up all the walls to keep yourself safe. Honey, I know it's hard to accept, but both Carlisle and I know much more about this than you think."

"I know that, Esme," I sighed. "I just…I don't know."

Esme pulled me closer to her. I rested my head under her chin as she tenderly rubbed my back, rocking us both to and fro in a soothing motion. We stayed that way for about an hour in silence before I broke away from her slightly, though her arms remained around me.

"What do I do?" I asked.

Esme took in a deep, unneeded breath. "I think that you should talk to this girl. Get to know her a bit, bond with her. If it turns out that she isn't your mate, then at least you'll have a chance to make a friend, but I'm fairly certain that she is. What you've described fits. Either way, approach it lightly. Don't rush things. I can guarantee that in the end, you'll come to see that I'm right."

I frowned at her, but I didn't argue. I didn't see a point in arguing right now.

"I'll try," I sighed.

"Bella, if I might suggest something, perhaps you could speak to your siblings about this," Esme said, looking at me intuitively. "I would suggest you ask Emmett and Rosalie regarding their relationship. That might help clear a few things up, honey."

"How would that help?" I inquired.

She rolled her eyes. "You should know, silly girl."

I opened my mouth to reply, but Esme merely grinned and pecked my cheeks before flitting up the stairs, leaving me in the center of the living room with my jaw hanging open. Damn it, that woman loved teasing me sometimes, I swear. I'd have to get her back for that. Eventually.

There wasn't anything I could do about it now, however. So I plopped down on the sofa and turned on the current game system, deciding that beating my siblings' top scores sounded like a good way to kill time and blow off steam. Boy did I love when I was right. I don't know how long I sat there mashing buttons and yelling at the television, but I was still at it when the others returned home from school. And I had just beaten Emmett's high score.

"Aw, man!" Emmett whined when he saw the screen. "You cheated!"

I beamed at him. "Nope, sorry big brother, I beat it fair and square."

Riley patted Emmett's shoulder. "There, there. You can beat it again. In a few years," he chuckled, ducking under a swing from Emmett. Rosalie, Victoria and Jasper all chuckled as the two wrestled each other for a brief moment with Riley coming out on top. Which was funny considering the difference in size, but it made sense considering Riley's past.

"You skipped school," Victoria said, coming over to hug me.

I ran my fingers through her curly hair. "Yeah, I didn't feel like going today. How was it?"

"Shitty as always," she snorted. "I should have stayed home too. School stinks."

I giggled and kissed her cheek. She did the same, then sat down on the couch and turned on Emmett's 360. Riley came over to hug me and we exchanged cheek kisses before he sauntered upstairs to go and see Jane. Jasper mimicked the notion, though he only went to sit down on the couch next to Victoria to join her. That left just Rose and Em. Emmett gave me his trademark bear hug, while Rosalie gave me an Esme-style hug and a peck on the lips.

"How are you doing, little sis?" Rosalie asked.

I sighed. "Alright. Hey, can I talk with you and Em for a moment outside?"

"Sure thing, sissy," Emmett chortled.

I ignored his humorous remark and walked outside, Rosalie and Emmett following in step behind me. I walked into the forest, making sure that we were farther away from the house. It wasn't that I didn't want the others to hear what I wanted to talk about, I just felt better knowing our conversation was completely private.

I turned on my heel once I believe it was far enough and faced my two siblings.

"Are you guys gonna make out?" Emmett asked, lifting a hopefully eyebrow.

Rosalie swatted his shoulder. "We won't if you keep pestering us about it, Em."

"Sorry Em, I asked you guys here for something a bit more…serious," I said, rubbing the back of my neck. How was I supposed to go about this, exactly? Damn it, I should have checked with Esme before I asked them here.

Emmett sobered up a bit. "So whatcha wanna talk about, Bellsy?"

"Bellsy?" I asked, cocking my head to the side. "You guys really like to get creative with the nicknaming thing, don't you?"

Rosalie chuckled softly. "It's fun coming up with nicknames for you. We all have our own little nicknames that we use when you're not around," she admitted, winking slyly at me. That minx.

"And what might those be?" I asked, stepping toward her.

"Uh uh, you tell us what you wanted to talk about, and I might considering telling you."

I huffed. "Fine. I, uh, I was wondering…about your relationship with each other."

"The sex?" Rosalie inquired, smirking.

"Dude," Emmett breathed. "The stories I could tell about that."

I blanched. "No, no, no! God no!" I shouted, throwing my hands in the air. "I don't want a damn thing to do with your guys' sex life. No, this is much more serious."

"Sorry, Belly-bear," Rosalie snickered, hugging me. "I was just joking."

I furrowed my brow at my gorgeous blonde sister. "Belly-bear? Really, Rose?" She snickered again and nodded. "Okay, I guess I don't mind that one too much." I shook my head. "I'm getting off track. No, I wanted to ask about how your relationship…how it started. How you felt for each other when you first met."

"You were there," Emmett pointed out, looking at me curiously.

"I know, but what was going through your heads?" I asked.

They both looked at each other in silence for a moment, then looked back at me.

"Well…" Rosalie began, shrugging her shoulders. "I, um…God, how do I explain this?"

"You didn't start off with each other," I murmured, glancing between the two of them. I focused on Emmett, keeping my eyes soft. "You tried to avoid her at first."

Emmett rubbed his neck sheepishly. "Yeah. Stupid mistake on my part. I wouldn't have killed those poor girls if I hadn't…" Rosalie and I both placed a hand on each shoulder. I grimaced, feeling stupid for making him feel bad.

"Sorry, Em. I didn't mean to…"

"It's cool," Emmett said, giving me a small smile. "We've all had our ups and downs. We just have to get stronger from them, which I've done. So I don't mind." He cleared his throat dramatically as Rose and I removed our hands. "Anyways, to answer your question, when I first saw Rose as a newborn, my first thought was "my God, she is _hot_"."

Rosalie and I both gaped at him. Emmett grinned sheepishly. "True story, I swear. Course, I thought you and Esme were pretty hot too, but don't tell Esme I said that. That'd be weird." Rose shot me a look that I ignored while he continued. "Other than that, I mean, I felt really drawn to her, like my body wanted to go over and be near her. But I thought it was just because of her looks, so I fought those urges away. And, well, we all know how that turned out."

"You never stopped feeling drawn to her," I mused.

He shook his head. "No. I never did. I wanted to be with her, to keep her safe and to help her whenever she needed it. And I wanted her to do all those things at the same time, which was weird because of how I was raised. Then I started to get to know her and I fell for her right then and there." He smiled at her. "The rest is history."

She smiled back and they squeezed each other's hands. I felt a pang of jealousy, not for their sakes, but for my own and I hung my head slightly. They noticed this and stopped. Rosalie even came over to pull me into her arms, cooing in my ear tenderly.

I sighed. "Sorry."

"Don't be," Rosalie murmured. "I know how you feel." I looked at her curiously, silently asking for an explanation. "When Emmett first went off on his own before being with me, I felt a little rejected, despite not knowing why. I was jealous that there were others getting his attention, which kind of irritated me. But then he and I clicked and Esme told me why I felt that way."

I nodded in understanding. "I see."

"Is there any reason why you're asking?" Emmett inquired, looking at me innocently.

I shook my head. "Just curious. Esme and I were talking about it earlier, so I thought I'd ask."

They frowned and stared at me in silence for a moment, shooting each other a confused look before shrugging it off. I smiled and hugged both of them in thanks before nodding my head back toward the house to go home. They nodded and the three of us raced home, myself coming in front of them, as always. Rosalie and Emmett had been behind me, but they both started wrestling with each other midway through, so I let them be. I did _not _need to see that.

"Hey, Bella," Jasper said once I'd walked in the house. He stood and walked over to me. "Mind if we go talk for a moment? There's something I wanted to tell you."

I shrugged. "Sure thing, I guess."

We speedily walked up to my room. Jasper, being the gentleman he was, opened the door and closed the door for me. I rolled my eyes at him, but I didn't say anything.

"So what's up?" I inquired.

Jasper's lips twitched into a smirk. "You had someone ask about you, today during lunch."

I gaped at him. Don't tell me…"Er, w-was it Newton?"

He chuckled throatily. "No, Jane and Riley had a word with him. I believe you know who I'm referring to, Bella. Ms. Alice Brandon?"

"S-she…she asked about me?" I asked, stunned.

"She asked if you were feeling well," he replied, smirking at my reaction. "I told her that you were feeling a bit sick, but that you'd be back tomorrow. You should have seen the look in her eyes when I told her that. She was brimming with hope and joy."

I didn't say anything. I just stared with my mouth open in a wide "O".

"I…why are you telling me this, Jazz?"

Jasper smirked. "You know the answer to that question, Bella. I can feel the joy radiating off of you, even though you're hiding it fairly well. I can see right through it, though. You were excited to hear that she asked about you, dear sister."

I growled, silently cursing his ability and how in-tuned to my emotions he was.

"You don't know what you're talking about, Jasper. Stop trying to twist my feelings around, damn it," I hissed, crossing my arms.

Jasper shook his head and chuckled. "Bella, stop that. You know I would never manipulate you like that. I was merely trying to make a point, really." I frowned and gave him a curious look. He ran a hand through his curly hair. "Er, Esme and I talked a bit about what was going on with you, and, well, she told me about Alice…being your mate."

I blanched and pinched the bridge of my nose. "My God…"

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about, Bella. I for one am beyond happy that you've finally found your soul mate. However, Esme did mention that you're trying to deny that she's your mate because she's a human and because of your control level."

"How many times must I remind you that my control stinks? Have you forgotten how many times I've slipped up in the past? Jasper, what if I get too close to her and she accidentally cuts herself? If she bleeds, it'll be over. I…I can't risk that…I can't risk hurting her or anyone for that matter," I choked out, staring down at the floor.

Jasper sighed and wrapped an arm around me in a brotherly embrace. I leaned into it and rested my head against his shoulder, letting the wave of calm he emanated from his body wrap around me in comfort.

"You should talk with Victoria," Jasper said softly. "You know as well as I do that she has the most experience in that area. Tori's had more slip-ups than either of us, which is saying something considering how hard it is for me. She's not fond of talking about it, but it will help the both of you. Besides, she's wanted to spend some one on one time with you."

I sighed. "I know. I don't know if it would help, Jazz. All it would do is make her feel bad and make me feel bad for making her feel bad. Our conversations generally don't last that long because I always say something stupid around her."

He rolled his eyes. "That's nonsense, Bella. You know Victoria loves you deeply."

"I never said she didn't. I just hate the awkward air that's around us when we sit down and try to have a personal conversation," I said. "Haven't you felt it?"

"Victoria struggles with allowing people to get close to her," Jasper admitted. "She's been that way since she's joined this family. Heaven knows how long it took for her to finally open up to me without me using my gift to persuade her, which I would never do to begin with, but still. I'll admit that I was a bit frustrated with her lack of trust, but given what she's been through, I've learned to understand her better. Give her a chance and you'll see."

I nodded in understanding and pulled my head away. "She knows how much I love her, right?"

Jasper smiled softly at me. "Of course she does. You changed her life, Bella. You brought her into this family and gave her new meaning, which she is eternally thankful for. I bet if you gave her the chance, she would tell you that herself."

"Alright, I'll talk to her sometime this week," I promised. "But I want to get all of this sorted out first, and I don't know how long that will take. I mean, I could always stay home a few more days to think…"

"Bella," Jasper sighed. "Don't run away from it."

"I'm not—"

"You are," he disagreed. "I can feel your nervousness and concern. Bella, sister, please trust me when I say that you can do this. You don't have to be afraid of what could and what will end up happening, because I know you. You are strong, spirited and far too stubborn to give up just because this is all new to you. Face it head on and stop worrying so much. It'll be okay."

"Easy for you to say, Jazz," I grumbled. He lifted an eyebrow at me. I huffed. "Fine, I'll go back to school with you guys tomorrow and do what Esme suggested. I'll talk to her. But I'm warning you now, Jazz, if this gets too out of hand—"

"It won't. Now stop with the negativity before I go and tell Rosalie," he said, narrowing his eyes.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Wouldn't I?" he questioned, smiling.

"I'd pay you back for it," I growled. "Or have you forgotten the bet that you and Victoria made concerning Rosalie? Do you want me to tell her about that?"

Jasper blinked and rubbed the back of his neck. "I won't tell her, then. She will need to know sooner or later, however." He smirked and tousled my hair before kissing my forehead in his usual fashion. "I'll leave you to your thoughts now, sis. If you need to talk, you know I'm here for you. Hell, we're all here for you."

I nodded and kissed his cheek. He smiled once more, then departed from my room, leaving me to myself again. I let out a long sigh and flopped onto my bed, staring up at the ceiling, lost in thought. There was so much to think about regarding this mate situation. Was Alice Brandon really my mate? Would she accept me as her mate? Was she even gay to begin with?

I grimaced. I needed to find all of this stuff out and I didn't really know how to go about doing it the right way. She was a human, and I wasn't the most skilled in talking to humans. With my family, I knew I could be myself, so I had no trouble talking normally with them. With humans, though, I couldn't say the same jokes or the same teases without confusing or scaring them.

I had to do this right. I just hoped I could pull it off.

I closed my eyes and pushed away all the raging thoughts to clear my head. I didn't need to think about this right now since the day wasn't even close to being over yet. But I couldn't, because the only thing that presented itself in my mind was Alice's face. Her smooth, creamy skin, those gorgeous crystal blue eyes, her rosy red lips, her cute dimples, her shoulder length, raven locks…

Damn it. _Stop thinking about her! _I cursed under my breath. This day needed to end. Now. Sigh.

The rest of the day did go by relatively fast. Not as fast as I wanted it to, since I kept thinking about Alice every few minutes. I eventually got bored and fed up with my wandering mind and went downstairs to spend time with my siblings. I joined in a gaming session with a few for a few hours, laughing as Emmett struggled to beat my gaming score. That was how I spent most of my day, save for going hunting once more with Rosalie and Riley.

Then it was back to gaming and chatting with them, even after Carlisle returned home from his late shift. I silently dreaded going back to school, but I kept my mouth shut about it. I could tell I wasn't doing as good a job with my emotions, since Jasper sent me calming waves on several occasions to help ease me. Soon the time came for us to go and prepare for school. Then again, being vampires, that didn't take much time to do.

"Are you going to join us today?" Riley asked once I'd gone and showered and dressed.

"Unfortunately," I muttered.

He chuckled. "There's no reason to be that way, Bells. It's not so bad there. Well, aside from the rotten food and some of the more annoying humans, that is."

I bit my lip. "I guess not."

Riley looked like he was about to ask me what was wrong when the others all sauntered into the room one at a time. He decided against it and remained silent as we all made our way outside to wait for Emmett and Victoria to pull their cars out. I decided to carpool with Jasper and Victoria while Jane and Riley joined Emmett and Rosalie.

We drove off in silence, Victoria speeding down our driveway toward the school. She cackled happily as she drove, which brought a small smile to my face, but otherwise I kept stoic and quiet, ignoring the worried look Jasper shot me as we neared the school. A part of me immediately started thinking about Alice and I grew excited at the prospect of seeing her again.

I tried to shove those feelings away once Victoria parked, Emmett parking directly next to us.

"Way to cut me off, fire-crotch," groaned Emmett as he jumped out of the driver's seat.

Victoria shrugged innocently. "You were showboating too much, _big_ brother."

"She's right," Jane snickered.

Emmett rolled his eyes and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Whatever, man. I don't know what you're babbling on about, especially since I could have crashed no thanks to you."

"Esme would have been pissed," Rosalie mused. "Of course, you know she'd blame you for it and not Tori, Em."

That was true. Emmett was often being blamed for most, if not all, of the damage caused to any vehicle, piece of furniture or any other kind of object in or around our house. Then again, it tended to be his fault, so she wasn't being biased against him. I had to admit that it was humorous watching Esme, who was equal to me in height with maybe a half an inch more, scolding big, burly Emmett the way she did. And his facial expressions…priceless.

"I'm going to class," he grumbled, crossing his arms petulantly. Rosalie laughed and kissed my cheek, then Jasper's and Victoria's as the duo made their way to class, Emmett pumping his fist into the air right as he entered the building. We all laughed and rolled our eyes.

"I guess we'll go too," Riley said, wrapping his arm around Jane. Jane playfully batted his arm away and, after winking at the rest of us, sped off. Riley laughed. "Hey! No fair, you're faster than I am!" He continued to laugh as he ran after her, shouting a "later guys" as he did.

That left Jasper, Victoria and myself. I stood near her car casually, eyeing the rest of the parking lot in curiosity to see if I could spot Alice's car. I couldn't, unfortunately. I frowned, but I didn't move nor say anything. I had more than enough time to get to class, so I wasn't worried about that. I did notice the knowing look on Jasper's face as he loomed a few feet away, Victoria standing next to him with a curious look in her eyes.

"What are you waiting for?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.

"No reason. I just want to avoid going to class for as long as I can," I replied, surprisingly smoother than I thought it would be.

Jasper held in a chuckle. "Well, I guess we'll get going then, shall we?" he asked, turning to his fiery haired mate. Victoria scowled, but nodded nonetheless. "Oh, come now Victoria, it won't be so bad. We can always leave if it gets too tedious for you."

"Bullshit," she snorted. "You like it here too much."

They continued talking amongst themselves as they walked away. I watched after them for a moment before returning my gaze to the growing parking lot. I hoped to spot Alice's car, though I had no clue what I'd do if I saw her. Would I go and talk to her? No, probably not. I'd be too nervous with all of what Esme said floating through my head.

Suddenly my reverie was broken by one car that looked particularly nice compared to most of the others speeding into the parking lot and coming to a screeching stop in a vacant slot. I wondered if it was another new student, but shrugged it off. It didn't matter.

That was when the car door opened and out stepped none other than Alice herself, wearing a beautiful dress and a frown on her face.

If I had a beating heart, it would've skipped a beat at the sight. The graceful girl lingered near her car, her back turned to me, thankfully. All I could do was stare at her. I felt a wave of thoughts and feelings, all of them familiar yet strange at the same time, wash over me and my body wanted nothing more than for me to go to her. But I froze before I even started.

Alice had stepped out of the passenger seat. Then who was the driver? The driver side door flung open and, in the blink of an eye, my world shattered as a head of short blonde hair reared itself from the driver's door.

**A/N: :O**

**...**

**I honestly don't have a witty response to that. Just, uh, don't kill me please. :D**


	9. Wrath

**Disclaimer: I take no claim for Twilight, it belongs to Stephanie Meyer. I only claim my own ideas and characters. That is all.**

**Wrath**

Rage.

I felt an undeniable surge of rage course through me as I watched the blonde haired boy walk from his side over to where Alice was. He smiled as he reached his arms outwards and brought Alice closer to him and hugged her. I twitched and I felt the rage growing inside of me alongside a strong amount of jealousy. He was _touching_ her. She was meant for _me_, not him. ME!

I snarled, blocking out whatever words he was saying to her and instead plotting out how he was going to die. Die? Yes, die. He needed to die. I would kill him. Rip of his head. Drink his sweet blood. Sweet, delicious blood. Mine. His life was mine. No one touches her. She is mine, too. He dies for touching her. Die.

Red. I saw red. Felt anger. Mate. She is my mate. No one can have her. No one but me. Mine. No one else's. I growled. Low, rumbling. Warning. Hear voices. Name being called? No. Not important, violator dies first. Clench fists tightly. Crouch. Wait. Growl. He turns, releasing mate, unsuspecting. Foolish boy. His blood will look good. Taste good. Grin.

Arms around me. Enemies. I snarled, kicking and thrashing. He looks. Fright crosses his face. I glare at him. Hate, rage, death. See it in my eyes. Confusion, more fright. I snarl again. Hear a voice. My name? Mate. Mate said my name. Soft whisper. Her eyes wide with fear. Fear? She is…afraid of me? No. She can't be. I can't scare her. Not like this. Not her. Him. He needs it.

"Bella!"

Name again, ringing in my ears. Tightened grips. Two of them. Sweet scent. Other vampires. No, they want him. They cannot have him. He dies. I kill him, not them! Me! I growl, thrashing. I use strength to get out of the grips. Not working. Why is not working! He is getting away! He gets in machine. Turns it on. Coward! He is escaping! No!

"No!" I roared. "Die!"

Fight the hold. Fight, fight, fight!

"Bella…" Mate again, confusion in her voice. Fear. Worry. Worry? For me? Yes. For me. Why?

Coward leaves in his noisy machine. Gone. He is gone. Violator got away. No meal. No vengeance for touching mate. Bastard. Kill him. Must follow and kill. Grips won't let go. Others still there. I growled and gnashed my teeth. Nicked one. Didn't bite. Too fast. Another growl.

Fight. Wait. Feeling something. Strong. Like a wave. A wave of calmness. Slowly blankets me. I try to fight it off. Doesn't work. Too strong. Arms wrap around waist, body is pulled back. The holder is female. Soft skin. Red hair. Sweet scent, tender voice. Familiar. I know her. Other has blonde hair, male. I know him, too. But how?

Stronger calmness. Fighting off anger, blowing the haze away. Less haze, more thinking. The haze is dissipating, everything is becoming less red. More colors, more patterns.

"Bella. Bella, please, calm yourself," the male says. Fog is going away faster.

I blink. Once, twice, three times. The calmness increases, causing my limbs to slowly stop their struggling and halt altogether. My thoughts are finally clear. I blinked a fourth time and looked around to see where I was. Then I remembered. I was at school. Jasper and Victoria were both surrounding me, Victoria hugging me into her body, Jasper holding my shoulders.

"Wha…" I looked around, confused. "What happened?"

Jasper removed his hands from my shoulders. His face looked ragged, his eyes black and his body tense as he let out a shaky breath. My legs buckled and I fell into Victoria's arms, my red-haired sister pulling me into them. I finally realized what had been going through my head and immediately curled my arms around her, pressing my face into her shoulder.

"Oh God," I breathed. I'd lost it. And I'd almost killed somebody. Again.

Victoria rubbed my back. "It's okay, sweetheart. It's okay."

I kneaded my fingers into the fabric of her shirt. "Oh Tori…shit…I'm so sorry."

"It's alright," she replied. "Nothing happened."

I glanced at Jasper to see that he was less tense now and visibly appeared much calmer.

"Jasper…"

"I'm fine," he said softly, opening his eyes. "It's okay, I'm not mad at you. I'm just concerned about you, honestly. What was that all about, Bella? One minute you were fine and then all of a sudden I felt this overwhelming bloodlust emanating from you. It was so powerful that Victoria and I started to feel it."

"Bloodlust is all well and good when you hunt, but here it isn't," Victoria added, also speaking gently while she continued to rub my back. "What happened?" Her eyes narrowed. "Did you see _him_? Is that what happened, Bella? Please, tell us."

"I…I, uh…" My voice trailed off as I stared down at the ground. A thought hit me. Alice. I looked up to see that Alice was gone now. I felt a pang of guilt, remembering the look I'd seen in her eyes when she looked at me. Oh no. She probably _hated_ me now. But…I'd called her my mate, not once, but several times. Was my brain just giving in to what I'd been told?

Or was she really my mate? I thought on it. Yeah, right. I doubted she would want anything to do with me now after that little display. Damn it. The one chance I have and I've already ruined it because of my lack of control.

Still…that bastard _touched_ her. How _dare _he touch her!

"Bella," Jasper warned, touching my shoulder.

I snapped out of it and hung my head sheepishly. "Sorry. I'll stop."

"Bella…" Victoria murmured, cupping my cheeks.

"Not right now," I whispered, not trusting my voice. I felt so guilty for what I was putting them through and all of it because of my own personal selfishness and insecurities. Why does this always have to happen to me? Why does it have to reflect off of them, too?

"You're guilty?" Jasper asked, frowning. "That's unnecessary. You don't have to feel guilty for making us worry about you. We're merely wondering why you wanted to kill someone in the parking lot at school. Was it Newton again?"

"No," I replied.

"Then who?" Victoria asked.

"Was it—?"

I threw my hands into the air. "I don't know who it was, okay?"

Jasper sent me another wave of calm to ease me despite the fact that he and Victoria were clearly confused with why I had nearly killed someone. I didn't know who that boy had been, but I did know that if I ever saw him again…

"So what did this person do to piss you off so badly?" Victoria asked, frowning.

"He…" I hesitated, not wanting to talk about it. I just wanted to forget it and get to class, strange and unlike me as it was. I don't know. There was way too much going through my mind and I didn't feel like bringing my siblings into it, especially since I had yet to tell Victoria about Alice to begin with. Well, unless Jasper did. I never knew with him.

I felt a sudden compelling wave surround me and realized that Jasper was attempting to use his gift to get me to talk. I glared at him and hissed.

"Stop trying to influence me, Jasper!"

He stepped back and rubbed his neck sheepishly. "I'm sorry, Bella. I would just like to know what the problem is. You always hold everything in because you're afraid of burdening the rest of us with your problems. How many times have I come to you for advice? To admit things to you that it took more time for me to admit to anyone else?"

Victoria nodded. "Don't forget that you've done the same for me. You've always been there for me, even if we don't talk very much. And I'm certain that I can attest to the fact that you've done the same for Rosalie, Emmett, Riley and especially Jane."

I stared between the two of them and hung my head. They were right.

"I…." I swallowed the venom pooling in my mouth and sucked in an unneeded breath of air. "He was…touching her," I said, looking at Jasper while I spoke. Jasper's eyes widened and at once they reflected a knowing look. At least he understood.

Victoria, on the other hand, looked lost. "Touching who? What's going on? What am I not being told here?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips. That was rare for her to do.

'It's complicated," I muttered.

Jasper rolled his eyes. "It's not complicated; you're just too stubborn to admit it because you don't think it's possible. I would think that, considering what you just went through, that that would be a very big hint that it is possible and it is the truth. She is your mate, Bella. I really do wish you would stop fighting yourself over it."

"Whoa, hold on a moment," Victoria interjected, stepping in front of me. "You found your mate and you didn't tell me? Seriously? After I was the one who helped you realize that you were trying to lie to yourself about being gay? C'mon, Bells, you know better than to hold out on me."

I backed and held up my hands. "I wasn't holding out on you, Tori. I just didn't want to make a big deal about it because I didn't know for myself if she really was my mate." Jasper snorted and shook his head at me. I glared at him. "Shut up, Jasper. I can't help it. I've never experienced any of this shit before. It's all new to me, damn it."

Victoria lifted an eyebrow. "My, my, you're cursing."

I furrowed my brow. "So?"

"You never curse unless you're pissed off or if something happens to you that you have no clue how to explain. Which, by theory, would mean that whatever's been going on with you is likely the real deal." She stepped forward and pulled me closer to her. "Spill it, sister. I want to know every single detail, here and now."

"S-shouldn't we be getting to class?" I asked, my eyes darting to the school to glance at the giant clock hanging above the entrance way. There was three minutes remaining before the first bell rang and first period would begin.

Victoria was now the one rolling her eyes. "Don't give me that crap, Isabella. You're just too afraid to tell me for some stupid reason. Now spill it before I pin you to the ground and do something drastic to you."

I sputtered. "Wait, what? What are you going to do?"

Victoria sneered at me and before I had a chance to react, she had me down on the ground. She pinned my wrists with her hands and my legs with her knees and leaned in close, smiling rather sultrily at me. I gaped at her, completely lost, while Jasper watched on, a small hint of amusement dancing across his attempt at a stoic face.

"T-Tori? What the hell?"

Her face was inches away from mine. For a moment, I thought she was just going to kiss me or something like that. But then she smirked and in an instant she stuck out her tongue and slurped the side of my face, leaving a trail of venom behind.

"Ew!" I groaned, struggling to get her off of me. "That's disgusting! Stop it!"

Both Victoria and Jasper started laughing while I glared at them.

"Tell me or I'll keep doing it," Victoria said, grinning. I didn't say anything and continued to glare at her, much to her amusement. She then stuck out her tongue, which dripped with more venom on it, and started leaning forward again.

"ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT, I'LL TELL YOU!" I screamed.

Victoria laughed again and gave me a quick peck on the lips before jumping off of me. I immediately snarled and wiped my face off furiously with my jacket sleeves, grunting in disgust that she'd actually done that. Gross!

"Damn it, Tori," I growled once my face was dried. "Why'd you have to go and do that?"

"Would you rather I grab Emmett?" she inquired, cocking her head to the side.

My eyes widened in horror. "If you did that, I would castrate your precious Jasper here and throw you into a fireplace to burn," I snarled, making sure to give them the death glare that Rosalie had taught me. They both stopped with their laughter and looked at each other, a bit of fear reminiscent in their eyes. I couldn't help smirking at that.

"In any case," Jasper said, clearing his throat awkwardly. "I do believe that you owe it to the others to tell them soon, Bella."

Victoria narrowed her eyes. "You knew and you didn't tell me?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Esme told me the other night, so really, I just found out. It's not like Bella would have told me otherwise, would you have, Bella?"

I grimaced and shrugged. "Not until I was confident with my own answer first."

"That would have taken centuries," Jasper joked. "You wouldn't have had the chance by then."

Irritated, I flipped him off and grabbed my backpack before storming toward the school, Jasper chuckling as he followed closely behind me. Victoria, however, was not chuckling and grabbed onto my shoulder to halt me. I hesitated before turning to look at my fiery haired sister, noting the placidity in her eyes as she appraised me.

"Do you not trust me?" she asked softly. Jasper stopped chuckling and sighed.

"Don't be that way, Tori," Jasper said. "You know she trusts you."

"I do," I added. "And I love you, Victoria. This whole thing is just confusing as hell to me."

"Will you tell me at lunch?" she asked, lifting an eyebrow.

I bit my lip and looked to Jasper for help. He merely shrugged. I sighed and nodded, giving in to the fact that if I didn't tell her that she would tell the others and then I would never hear the end of it. I knew that because I knew how my siblings acted. Always worrying about my mental and emotional stability. Not that I could blame them.

"I will tell you when we get home today, how does that sound?" I asked.

She considered it for a moment and glanced at Jasper, who nodded curtly.

"Fine," she replied. "I'll hold you to that, dear sister. I'm assuming that the others are in the dark about this little secret as well?" I nodded ashamedly. Victoria snickered. "Rosie's gonna be pissed that you didn't tell her sooner, you know that, right?"

I sighed. "Yes, yes, I know. Now can we go to class already and get this over with?"

"I would have thought you'd enjoy being in the arms of a woman," she teased.

"Not when that woman slobbered on me like a damn dog did," I retorted, sticking out my tongue.

Victoria hissed. "I am not, nor will I ever be, like one of those stinking mongrels, so don't you dare go and insinuate that, Isabella," she growled.

I snickered at her. "Well, you do have the growl and the hair part down…"

She growled again and I quickly made my way into the school, Victoria chasing after me as Jasper laughed and followed at a steady walking pace. I forgot about what happened in the parking lot, at least for the time being, and cleared my head while I slipped into my class just as the bell was about to ring. Victoria glared at me through the doorway before blowing me a kiss and departing with Jasper, who waved briefly. I rolled my eyes and prepared myself for the boredom that was to come for the next few hours…

As I'd expected, my first set of classes was boring. The only saving graces were the few classes I had with my siblings, which at least gave me someone to talk to. Another good thing, which surprised me, was that Mike Newton did not talk to me once the first half of the day. He kept to himself and avoided me like the plague, which had me screaming in celebration in my head.

Then lunch time came and the inevitable fact that Alice would be there crossed my mind. An image of her staring at me with her wide, crystal blue eyes shining with fear and confusion shot across the back of my head and I instantly started worrying. How would she react now? Would she even bother looking at me?

I mentally smacked myself. Of course she wouldn't, we weren't even friends.

I swallowed in another unnecessary breath and braced myself as I walked into the cafeteria, unable to keep my eyes from scanning around to see where Alice was. So far, she wasn't there, which was both a relief and a hindrance to me. But then I saw her enter from the other side, chatting and laughing with the likes of Jessica Stanley and her other gossipy friends.

_Why in the hell would I want to be mated to someone who was friends with them_? I thought to myself, disdainful at the idea. Jessica was not a kind person and neither were her bitchy little friends, if that's what one could call them. I knew that they didn't really like each other; they merely clung to Jessica for her popularity. Was that the kind of person Alice was?

Then her eyes looked up and, as if being drawn to a magnet, locked onto mine. I gulped and stared at her while she stared at me. In that moment, it was as if everyone in the room vanished into thin air. The only two people that existed were her and me. Neither of us said anything, we just gazed into one another's eyes. Alice looked like she was searching for something.

Answers.

Answers to what? What was she looking for exactly? I felt the need to try and give her the answers she sought, but I was too afraid. I didn't want to move and I didn't trust myself to go and talk to her, not after what had happened earlier.

"Bella," she whispered, so quiet that I nearly didn't hear it.

I felt the overwhelming urge to speak her name, but I did not trust my voice. At last our gaze was broken when she was forced to turn away because of Jessica Stanley's squealing at her, at which point I became distinctly aware that we were not alone and that I was being stared at by a number of other people, a few of my siblings included.

_I can't do this._

I turned to my siblings and gave them an apologetic look before spinning around and departing the lunchroom again. I brushed past the sea of students going in the opposite direction as me as I made my way to my next class, which of course, I shared with Alice. I tried not to think of that as I sat down in my usual seat, setting my head on the desk in silence.

"Damn it all," I cursed under my breath, running both hands through my hair. "Why does this have to be so difficult?"

I liked her. I mean, I really liked her. But I barely knew her. Yet I felt like I knew her, I felt like I wanted to be near her, to get to know her better, to protect her, to hold her. I felt all these things, all these feelings that I've never felt before, swarming around my dead heart as if it could come back to life and beat again, all for one purpose: her.

Is this what it means to be in love? Am I really just lost in my denial with all this?

I tapped a finger against the wood of the desk.

_There was only one way for me to find out._

I didn't like it. I wasn't just afraid. I was terrified.

_Being afraid is natural, but what if it's true? What if she's the one for me?_

Then I would finally find some happiness in my life.

_What if__** he**__ found out?_

No. I pushed that thought aside and locked it away. I didn't need that ruining this chance.

I heard a noise and turned to see the door opening with, of course, Alice walking quietly in, her lunch tray in her left hand. I watched silently as she gracefully twirled into the room without dropping her food and glided over to where I was, her eyes closed the whole time. Whoa.

Her eyes snapped open when she saw me and, for a split second, she looked like she wanted to go back outside of the room. I wouldn't have blamed her if she did. But then she strode over to our desk and seated herself, setting her tray of stinky human food directly in front of her. My nose crinkled and I turned my head so that she wouldn't mistake my disgust for something else. I just hated the God awful stench of their "food".

"Hello Bella," Alice greeted, looking at me with her ocean colored orbs.

"Er…hi," I stupidly replied.

Her lips curled into a small smile as she gracefully—and I'm serious, it was like every movement she did was fluid and graceful—picked up a fork with her right hand and pressed the tips into her foul food and started to eat it. I couldn't help watching out of the corners of my eyes, fascinated by her movements and by her eating. I felt creepy, but I couldn't help myself.

Once she'd swallowed her food, she spoke. "Are you feeling better?" she asked. I blinked. Did she mean from earlier today or from my absence the other day from school? Uh…"Well, you were gone the other day, so I was just wondering…" Her voice trailed off. Oh.

"Yes, I'm feeling much better," I replied, managing not to sound like an idiot for once. Good.

She seemed pleased. "That's good."

I noticed that she wasn't stuttering this time. Huh. I wondered if she was more comfortable being around me now or if she simply hadn't been feeling well the first day she met. She had looked so nervous then; it was like…she'd seen a ghost…

_She knows._

There was no way. She couldn't know. Could she?

"Yeah," I murmured, watching her closely to see if I could tell whether or not she knew. From the way she looked at me, it was hard to tell. Every time I looked into her eyes my world just vanished into thin air. I wonder if she knew the kind of effect that she had on me.

It was silent for a moment, neither of us talking. Alice continued to chew her food, glancing at me every few seconds, studying me curiously. I bit my lip, disliking the silence between us. I felt like I needed to say something and I had no idea what to say to her. I didn't know if she was going to mention this morning or not.

"Who was that guy?" I blurted, mentally smacking myself the second the words left my mouth.

Alice's eyes widened as she dropped her fork down. Then she swallowed and ran her fingers through her soft looking hair. Oh how I wanted to brush my nose against it and inhale that sweet aroma emanating from her skin and run my fingers through those silky looking locks. Whoa, that is not the right thing to be thinking now.

I swear, my brain was out to get me.

"Um…you mean the one who dropped me off?" she asked, hesitantly. I nodded stiffly, not looking at her. I wasn't sure I could. "He's just a friend of mine." I didn't fail to notice the odd tone of voice she had while she spoke that.

_He's "just a friend", huh? It sounds like something more than that_, I grumbled to myself.

Alice looked at me curiously. "Did you say something?"

I grimaced. Do I…? Well, if she's my mate, I kind of have to. Here we go.

"Is he…is he your _boyfriend_?" I asked, the last word tasting like poison in my mouth.

She set her fork down and stared at me for a moment in silence. I started to worry if I had offended her by what I'd asked and cursed myself in my head, glancing at the door for a way of escaping should this be blown out of proportion.

"You think he's my boyfriend?" Alice asked, staring into my eyes thoughtfully. I hesitated, then nodded sheepishly. Alice continued to stare at me, her eyes twinkling, before she tilted her head back and started to let out the most musical sounding laugh I've ever heard before.

"W-what?" I stammered, awestruck by the beautiful music escaping her mouth.

_God, I am either incredibly obsessed or…okay, maybe I really am just in denial about this._

"You actually thought that we were together because he gave me a ride?" she asked, shaking her head and smiling at me. "No, he's not my boyfriend. He's just a boy whose family is close to mine and who happens to be a good friend of mine."

I felt a swirling wave of relief crash into me and I nearly let it out in a sigh. Thankfully I was able to keep that from happening and merely nodded in understanding. On the inside I was screaming with joy, however. I bit my lip as Alice smiled and ate a bit more of her food, the silence between us becoming gradually less tense. It was still awkward, unfortunately.

"Your eyes are pretty," Alice said, breaking the silence. I turned to her and saw hers sparkling intensely as she appraised me.

"Thank you," I replied, feeling bashful for reasons I didn't know. Damn it, I hate being reduced to this because of one girl. One very beautiful, graceful, sweet smelling girl…gah!

Alice seemed amused by something. "You're quite welcome," she said, taking another bite of her food. I nodded and turned my attention to the desk, trying to figure out what the hell I should do know in order to talk to this girl. I heard a clattering noise and noticed that Alice's fork had dropped down to the ground. She pouted in disdain at the sight.

Seeing this as my chance, I reached my hand down to grab her fork and picked it up. Once I had the fork I handed it to her. She smiled and reached for it, brushing her fingers against my skin, sending a strange sensation through my body. She pulled her hand away and wiped her fork off.

"I wouldn't eat with that if I were you," I said, trying to sound nonchalant.

Alice glanced at me. "Pardon?"

"Your fork. It's covered in germs," I commented. I could tell just how filthy it was from touching the floor and I sure as hell didn't want her getting sick from that.

She looked at the fork, then looked at me, a small smile tugging at her lips. She then set the fork down and stood up, gliding over to the trash can and dumping the rest of her disgusting food, which there wasn't much of, and the plate into it. I was thankful because now I didn't have to worry about smelling that and could focus on her scent instead.

Her sweet, chocolaty scent filtered into the air and relaxed me as she sat back down, twiddling her fingers as she looked at me through her eyelashes. I noticed that she had been looking at me on and off quite a bit and wondered if there was something on my face. Then again, the way she was looking was almost like she was studying me.

I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply, not worried about why she was looking. I'm sure that if I did have something on my face, she'd tell me. It was incredibly nice being in the room with just her; the silence and her sweet scent doing wonders for the mood in the room.

"Bella?" I felt a warm hand touch my arm and stay there. The contrasting temperature of the hand was surprisingly nice. And the skin was soft, too. "Bella?" I opened my eyes and saw that Alice was looking at me rather sheepishly.

"Yes?" I asked, glancing at her outstretched hand on my arm.

She bit her lip. "I was wondering…" She hesitated for a moment. "Are you, by chance, doing anything this weekend?"

I gaped at her. Whoa. Was she asking me out? No, no, no! She was just seeing if I was doing anything, that's all. There wasn't an offer there, stupid.

"I don't know," I answered truthfully.

Alice's lips twitched as she nodded. "I hear it's going to be hot out. Do you have any interest in going to the beach that day?"

I blanched. Sunlight.

"Er…I can't," I replied.

"Why not?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.

Because I can't go out into the sunlight. "I have very sensitive skin, so my mother keeps me indoors on days when the sun's out. I could go for maybe thirty minutes, but then I'd have to leave because I can't risk getting burned. It's happened before and I was hospitalized a few times for it, so my parents would rather it not happen again."

Lying to the girl that was supposedly my mate was not the greatest tactic, but it was needed.

Alice pouted. "Well that stinks."

My lips twitched and I nearly laughed. She was cute when she pouted and complained. It was like she had this inner childishness to her that she was clearly trying to hide. I was beginning to wonder if this girl really was a Brandon or not. She seemed to be nothing like her parents.

"Yeah, sorry," I murmured.

Alice sighed and removed her hand from my arm. I didn't fail to notice her subtly bring her palm to her nose and sniff it, her eyes fluttering as a quiet sigh escaped her lips. I furrowed my brow at that, but then remembered that my scent was probably fairly strong to her, too. I wondered what I smelled like to her. It differentiated between person to person.

"Hey Bella?"

"Yes?" I asked, turning to face her again.

Her face was closer to mine than I'd originally thought. Had it been this close the whole time?

She stared into my eyes, her crystal blue orbs sparkling, as I stared back into hers. That same connection we'd formed in the lunchroom formed again as everything else, the clock, the time, the desks and chairs, even the doorway and sounds of students walking and talking outside of it, vanished into nothingness. It was just the two of us, floating.

Alice held my gaze as she slowly leaned in. I felt pulled to do the same and in an instant my eyes focused onto her rose colored lips. I yearned to know how soft they were and what they tasted like and wanted nothing more than to know once and for all if she truly was my mate.

People consummated their love with a kiss. So why not confirm it, too?

As I leaned in, I felt a surge of different emotions running through me. Excitement, fear, lust, concern, confusion…

I became distinctly aware of Alice's heartbeat. I could hear it pounding wildly inside of her chest as though it were trying to escape from her body and flee. Her heart…her blood. I could practically imagine her sweet blood flowing through her veins. I bet her blood smelled even better than her chocolate scent did. It probably taster better, too.

Blood. Sweet blood. _My _blood. She was _**mine**_.

I snapped my eyes open and pulled away when I felt the searing burn in my throat and the venom pooling into my mouth. I looked at Alice, who gasped quietly and pulled away, her cheeks turning bright scarlet as the blood inside of her rushed to her face. She looked delicious.

_Oh no._

_Shit. I can't do this. Not now, not with her!_

"I'm sorry, I have to go," I speedily said without taking a breath. I refused to breathe anymore.

"W-wait, Bella, I'm sorry!" Alice said. "P-please don't go."

"Have to," I croaked. "Sorry. Not you. Not feeling well." I grabbed my backpack and dashed out of the classroom, trying to ignore the painful urge to go back to Alice. I couldn't…I just couldn't do it, not now. I needed to clear my head first.

I ran outside of the school. Fresh air. I sighed and took in several breaths, slowly. Eventually the burn in my throat subsided and I didn't feel the urge to rip something into pieces anymore. With haste I opened up my backpack and pulled out a thermos filled with blood given to me by Esme, which I opened and guzzled down, unable to stop myself from moaning in delight.

Not moaning while feeding was very hard to do, after all.

Once I'd slurped it all down I sighed contently and licked my lips while closing it, I stuffed it into my backpack. I cursed myself out loud for what I'd done and hoped that Alice wasn't too upset over it. That and I prayed to God that Jasper hadn't felt my emotions. I did _not_ need to go through that again, not now and not when it pertained to Alice.

I heard a car pull up and sighed while I went to sit under a nearby tree. Maybe if I waited I could catch up to her and apologize…

"Hey! Is class out yet?" I heard a male voice ask.

I opened my eyes, only for them to widen instantly. It was the boy from before.

**A/N: Rawr.**

**So...can any of you guess who this mystery person is? Hmm? It'd suck if I made it that obvious this early on, but hey, if you can figure it out, more power to you. Otherwise, you'll have to wait, because I ain't saying nothing on it for now. :D**

**Two things of note. One, I did indeed get a Twitter account. I'm Hollowgo over there. The link should be on my profile. Feel free to message me there and ask stuff about the stories, etc. I'll even offer chances for people to give me a free request every once and a while. The second thing is that this story will likely not be updated until AFTER Blood Solstice finishes up, simply because I want to get it finished before I start focusing on this story. **

**So yeah. Till next time. **


	10. Making Decisions

**Disclaimer: I take no claim for Meyer's Twilight, only for my own characters and ideas, of which currently, there are not many.**

**Making Decisions**

I stared blankly at the human standing several feet away from me, the rage from earlier threatening to return full force. He had short, matted blonde hair, narrow eyes and a smug grin on his face that I wanted to wipe away instantly. I did not like this guy, and even if he _hadn't _been hugging Alice, I would not like him.

He cocked his head to the side. "So, you gonna answer my question?" he asked.

I swallowed the venom that pooled into my mouth and took a deep, unnecessary breath.

"In another hour," I replied.

"Ooh, you skipping, then?" he inquired, smiling. I officially hated that smile.

"What's it to you?" I countered harshly. "You're no friend of mine."

He held his hands up defensively. "Whoa, chill girl, I was just playing. I got no qualms with that, I do the same thing all the time."

I snorted, too quiet for him to hear. It would figure that he was a damn delinquent. Now if he could just go jump off a cliff or something. Actually, I'd be more than happy to throw his scrawny ass off a cliff. That'd make this so much easier. It's a shame that my siblings would likely end up catching me beforehand, though. Oh well.

Either way, I didn't want to talk to him. I had other things on my mind and he wasn't one of them, so I decided to ignore him, hoping he would take the hint and leave. For a moment, he seemed to actually consider using his brain, a rare quality in teenage boys, but then he smiled and I knew full well that he didn't have any intention of leaving.

"So what's your name, sweet thing?" he asked.

"None of your business," I growled. "And unless you want your testicles removed and shoved up your anus, I suggest you be a good little boy and leave me alone. I'm in no mood for it."

The boy sputtered and actually looked visibly frightened. I smiled inwardly; pleased with the fact that Rosalie's training had paid off. He hesitated and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, looking around for something to pass the time that didn't include being near me. I could smell his sweat forming, which caused my nostrils to flare.

"Er, right…" he muttered. "I'll, uh, be going then. But can I ask you one more question?"

"What is it?" I asked, not bothering to look at him.

"Would you by chance know Mary Brandon? She probably goes by Alice."

I twitched and slowly turned to look at him. He looked like a lost puppy, which made me sick.

"I might. What of it?"

He grinned. "She's a cutie ain't she?" I glared at him and he cleared his throat. "Well, anyways, if you see her, tell her that her strongman's waiting in his car for her. I'm gonna surprise her and take her out to her favorite place to eat in Forks."

Something in the back of my mind clicked at his words. I decided to risk it and ask.

"Where's that at?" I inquired.

"It's that Italian place in the center of town," he replied. "She_ loves_ it there."

Italian place? I thought for a moment and recalled seeing such a restaurant before. I didn't know why, but I decided to make a mental note of that for later as I stood up. I didn't like talking to this weasel, but the fact that he knew some things about Alice…things that I could use to better our relationship, was promising to me.

Wait a minute. What the hell am I talking about? Our "relationship"? We don't have one yet, no thanks to me and my lack of control. Damn it all, why can't this be easy for me? Everyone else had an easy time getting together with their mates, but when I supposedly find mine, all hell breaks loose because the only thing I can think of is trying to eat her.

But still…I couldn't just ignore her or my feelings. I vowed to myself that I'd see it through, so that was exactly what I needed to do.

I swallowed my revulsion at talking to the boy and gave him a pleasant smile.

"Are you two…_dating_?" I asked, nearly choking on the poisonous word.

He scowled and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "No, unfortunately. I've been meaning to ask her to be my girlfriend, but she always has stuff to do whenever I get around to trying. One of these days, though, I hope to make her mine. My parents and her parents are close friends, so they'll probably be setting something up for us soon."

I felt the sudden urge to vomit. Of course he would be in league with her parents. How typical.

However, the fact that this clown wasn't dating Alice was a relief and I felt much more relaxed, albeit the fact that he was still going to try to date her angering me. I didn't let that show because I needed to play it safe with him, to word everything correctly so that I could get all the information he had for me. In the end, I hoped that this would help bring me closer to Alice.

"So…what can you tell me about her?" I asked as smoothly as I could.

"A lot," he replied, smirking. "I've made a list of everything she's told me and everything that I've noticed about her." His smirk grew and he looked rather proud of himself for gaining all the supposed information that he had.

I furrowed my brow warily at him, wondering where his head was at. It did not sound like he'd done some of this information gathering with Alice's permission. But maybe I was reading too much into this. I shrugged briefly and decided I'd go for the kill and see if he would be willing to share this information with me.

"Is there anything you'd be willing to share?" I asked.

"What? Hell no! This is for me to know, sorry babe," he replied, chuckling.

I twitched at the word "babe", but I kept my composure. "Come on, please? I want to be friends with her, and knowing more about her would really help. Besides…" I stepped forward, swallowed my disgust and stroked his cheek. "I could always put in a good word for you with her in order to help get you two together, if you want…"

He shuddered and I could see his resolve melting like ice. Bingo. Victoria, you are a lifesaver.

"O-okay…" he stammered. "But you gotta promise you won't tell her or nobody else. No one can know about this. And most importantly, no cops." His eyes darted around nervously, as if he were expecting someone to walk out. "Between you and me, hot stuff, I've had some issues in the past. I'm over them now, I swear, so there ain't any need for you to be worried."

I narrowed my eyes. I liked him less and less. If he had some kind of "issue", I didn't want him being anywhere near Alice. Hell, I wouldn't want him being anywhere near any of the other humans here either. Aside from maybe the idiots like Newton and Stanley and the like...

"I'll tell you what; I'll bring you the list I made tomorrow. You gonna skip again?" he asked, quirking a thin eyebrow.

I hesitated. "I'll see what I can do."

He seemed pleased regardless. "Alright. By the way, my name is—"

The bell signifying the day's ending sounded, cutting him off and I breathed out a very quiet sigh of relief that I wouldn't need to listen to him anymore.

"Aw man, I gotta piss now…" he grumbled to himself. I did _not_ need to hear that.

The idiot didn't even give me a second look as he sped off toward the school in search of the bathroom, leaving me by myself. I ran a hand through my hair and wondered if I should go and look for Alice. I needed to apologize to her for leaving like that. I couldn't help it though.

What got me the most was…she looked like she was about to _kiss_ me. Was I imagining that?

I didn't have long to think because my nostrils flared when I caught wind of that oh-so tantalizing chocolate scent and I knew immediately that Alice was outside. I whipped my head in her direction and saw her slowly walking out from the doors, a somber look on her angelic face. I took in several deep breaths and started forward, walking directly towards her.

Almost like she had a built in radar system, the moment I started, her head whipped up, her wide, crystal blue eyes meeting mine in seconds. I vaguely heard my name being called, but the moment our eyes connected, no one else existed as our legs continued moving in the same direction as one another.

I stopped when I was a few feet apart from her, at which point she stopped too. I noticed that her eyes were smoldering with a variety of emotion, the most prominent among them…shame? She bit her lip and her eyes turned away from mine, the shame growing more pronounced. Then I remembered the almost kiss and knew what she was ashamed of.

"Bella…" she breathed. I felt overjoyed at hearing the sound of my name from her lips, but I had to keep myself from saying anything yet. She looked back into my eyes after taking a moment to deliberate with herself. "About earlier…I'm sorry that I…"

I swallowed. "I'm the one who should apologize, Alice." I stopped and bowed my head. "Please forgive my earlier rudeness. I didn't mean to offend you, I just wasn't feeling well. I have stomach problems, you see, and I needed some fresh air to deal with them. I am sorry."

Alice seemed surprised and relieved in the same as she soaked in my words. For a moment she appeared to be in total disbelief, but she blinked a few times and it faded away. Her lips curled into a small smile which gradually grew into a full-blown, beautiful grin.

"You don't have to apologize either," she said, rubbing the back of her neck. "I got a little too close for comfort, I understand. Don't worry about it, though. Are you feeling better?"

I nodded curtly. "Yes, I am, thank you."

"Good," she replied. Her smile was tentative, but still breathtaking to look at.

"So…" I bit my lip. Now what do I say? "Your, uh, _friend_ was here waiting for you."

She furrowed her brow. "My friend?"

"That we-_boy_ with the blonde hair," I replied.

Alice's lips twitched and she nodded in understanding. "I…see. Do you know where he went?"

"Bathroom," I said, sighing. I had a bad feeling he was going to pop up and ruin the moment.

She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "Damn it," she muttered. "Er, Bella…?"

"Yes?" I asked.

Alice removed her hand and bit her lip. "Would you, maybe…be interested in hanging out sometime after school?" she asked, giving me a hopeful look.

I wanted to scream "YEEEEEEEEEEEEEES!" at the top of my lungs and almost did. I held it in, however, because I couldn't do that, lest I give her the wrong opinion about myself. Then again, I'd already done that. Gah!

"Er…sure," I responded. "I can't this week, but maybe next week?"

Her eyes lit up and I swear if it was possible, I would have melted right then and there.

"That's good to know," she murmured. She peered over my shoulder and giggled. "I think your siblings are waiting for you. Sorry, I didn't mean to keep you. I'm going to go find my…" She paused and smirked. "Friend, and make sure he hasn't done anything to get himself into trouble."

My dead heart sank, but I nodded nonetheless, giving her a smile. "Alright, I'll see you…tomorrow?"

Alice giggled again. "Unless you decide to skip out, then yes, I will see you tomorrow."

"Goodbye, Alice," I said softly.

Her face softened and she seemed to debate with herself over something. Whatever it was, she decided against it and merely smiled back.

"Goodbye, Bella," she replied.

She turned on her heel and gracefully strode off, back in the direction of the school. I stared after her, becoming aware of my surroundings once again once she was gone. I didn't fail to notice that there were several groups of student gaping, some at me, but most at Alice. I forgot that it was rare for people to talk to anyone from my family.

I shrugged and made my way toward my siblings, who were all waiting. Jasper and Victoria both had knowing smirks while the others had a different emotion on their face. Jane looked annoyed, Emmett looked confused, Riley looked curious and Rosalie…Rosalie had a neutral looking face, though I could tell there was a hint of worry in her eyes. Whoo boy.

"What was that all about?" Rosalie asked, cocking her head to the side.

I bit my lip and shot a glare at Victoria, who snickered quietly next to Jasper.

"It's nothing," I replied, waving it off.

"Bullshit," Jane said, stepping forward. "You were chatting with the _Brandon_ girl, Bella. That isn't nothing, especially given the fact that her parents loathe us and that she's friends with that little bitch Stanley. So spill already, what were the two of you talking about?"

I grimaced. Damn, I had forgotten about both of those facts. Being near Alice just made everything else in the world seem inconsequential.

"Er…" I spaced out and rubbed the back of my neck. "Can we do this at home, please?"

The others exchanged looks, sans Jasper and Victoria who tried very hard not to look like they knew what was going on. I glared at Victoria, who covered her mouth dramatically and sauntered into her car, Jasper winking and following suit.

"If you promise to tell us," Jane said, putting her hands on her hips.

Riley gently urged her to their vehicle and gave me a small smile. I could tell he was trying not to get into my face about it, but he wanted to know too. Not that I could blame him. Emmett and Rosalie both remained silent, giving me the "we're talking about this later for sure" look as they got in as well. I waited for them to leave and watched after them before sighing.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "You two really stink, you know that? Thanks for nothing."

They both laughed from their car and I glared at them, clicking my teeth together. I swear having so many siblings was such a pain in the ass some times. Ugh. I took in a deep breath and shook my head at their antics and prepared to get in the car when I remembered something. Curiously, I turned around and scanned the parking lot.

By now, most of the students had already driven off, save for the few groups of delinquents who loomed around in back so they could smoke their pot or whatever the hell it was they did in their spare time. I didn't know, nor did I care. I noticed that that boy's car was still there and that neither he nor Alice were anywhere to be seen. Part of me didn't like that idea, but I had to trust that Alice was smart enough to not do anything. She didn't seem to like him that way anyways.

Thank you God for that.

I felt the urge to smile and, rather briskly, I made my way over to his car. Victoria and Jasper were both watching me curiously, I could tell, as I stopped by his rather sleek looking car. I didn't know the name off the top of my head, but it was the kind of car that was clearly trying to be superior to everyone else's vehicle. I hated vehicles like that.

I got an evil idea, a _deliciously_ evil idea that would allow my inner Jane and Emmett to shine through, which I was rather happy about. I smirked and allowed my fingers to gently trail across the hood of his vehicle, stopping at the front of the driver's side door.

I felt my lips curl into a sadistic grin as I sank the nails of my left hand into the metal and started walking forward, scraping my fingernails through the metal. The metal screamed as my fingers clawed through it and stopped once I'd successfully scarred the entire driver's side. I sneered, but I wasn't done there. Oh no, far from it.

I knelt down and placed my fingers on his front tire and proceeded to press the nails into it, pleased at the whimpering that the rubber made as I punctured its flesh. Once I'd successfully let a good amount of air out of the tire, I removed my fingers, tempted to do the same to the other three tires, but I decided against it. I didn't want Alice to get hurt while driving with this bozo.

Pleased, I licked my lips and strutted back to where Jasper and Victoria were. The two of them burst into a raucous fit of laughter in the car, laughing as loud as Emmett normally did, which, with their windows open, caused some heads to turn in their direction. Neither seemed to notice as I got to my door, pausing when I smelled a familiar scent in the air.

I peered over my shoulder and saw Alice gliding out of the school doors. God, the way she moved was so majestic. It was like watching a ballerina, only ten times better. I noticed that her crystal blue eyes were swimming with mirth and her lips were curled into a grin so smug, for a moment I wondered if she somehow knew what I'd done to his car.

I watched as she stopped and laughed quietly and my eyes widened. She didn't even have to look; she knew that I'd done something to his car. What the hell? I watched her shake her head and laugh more as she strode over to the passenger's side and sighed. For a moment, it looked like she was going to turn her head, but she stopped herself and got into the car.

I speedily blurred in to the back of the car. "Don't start it yet," I told Victoria.

Victoria smirked wickedly. "And miss his reaction? Fuck no!"

The three of us waited in silence as the boy made his way out of the school, zipping himself up, which I found disgusting. Victoria even made a few gagging noises herself. Once he was finished, he strutted over to his car, completely unaware of what he was going to find. Alice had her mouth cupped in her seat, trying hard to keep herself from laughing, it seemed.

Then he reached his precious car and his eyes practically bulged out of his skull when he saw what I'd done to it. He stood there, his jaw hanging open like an idiot as his body trembled in shock and horror. Then he put his hands on his face and screamed a loud "no!" at the top of his lungs as he dropped to his knees and started to whimper rather pathetically.

I couldn't control it anymore—Jasper was making it even more difficult—and I burst into laughter, my two siblings joining me in seconds. We didn't stay to watch much longer since I'd gotten what I'd wanted. Besides, I would start to feel just a tiny bit guilt…ah, hell; I wouldn't feel guilty at all! But still, we needed to get home before he somehow figured out it was me.

Not that he ever would with his obvious lack of intelligence.

We drove home, the three of us laughing all the way. I was the first to stop and sober up by the time we drove into the garage, Jasper being the next and Victoria being the last. She had such an evil laugh, I swear. I liked it, though.

Once I walked inside, I was immediately aware that my other siblings were all sitting down in the living room. The television wasn't on, the computer wasn't on and the chairs had been rearranged, which only meant one thing: it was time to face the music. Jasper and Victoria both squeezed a shoulder as they made their way to the couch and sat. Victoria gave me a "I'll be your support for this" look that relieved me, but I was still concerned.

I swallowed the venom that pooled into my mouth and sauntered into the living room, sitting down in one of the easy chairs. My siblings, the ones that didn't know, all looked at me expectantly and silently, waiting for me to explain to them what was going on.

"Um…well…" I ran a hand through my hair sheepishly.

"Bella, this isn't something you need to be so worried about," Rosalie said softly, coming to sit near me and hugging me tenderly. "Relax, sis. Just tell us what's going on. You've been acting weird for the past few days and it's scaring us."

"I know, Rose. And I'm sorry, everyone, that I've been acting so oddly. The last few days have been a little weird for me, I'll admit."

"So what's up with you?" Emmett asked, crossing his arms. "You swallow some of that garbage the humans call food by mistake or what?"

I chuckled. "No, Em I wish it was something that simple."

"Ugh, get to the point already, Bella," Victoria groaned. "It's easy to say."

Jasper patted her shoulder. "Easy, Tori, give her a break."

Rosalie whipped her head around. "You two know what's going on?"

"Hey, I just found out today, Jasper knew before I did," Victoria said, holding her hands up.

Jasper sighed. "Thanks, dear, that helps a lot."

"How'd you find out?" Riley inquired. "Unless you made Bella tell you, which wouldn't surprise me in the slightest."

Jasper scowled at him. "Are you suggesting that I manipulate people to get what I want?"

"Quite frequently," Victoria snickered.

My blonde brother huffed and kept his mouth shut, shaking his head. Victoria just continued to snicker, Emmett and Jane joining in for good measure. Riley just covered his mouth, trying to avoid us from hearing his chuckle. Rosalie glared at Jasper and Victoria for a few seconds before rolling her eyes and turning to face me.

"Out with it," Rosalie commanded, tapping my nose. "Tell us what the big secret is."

"I think I found my mate," I said softly.

The room fell quiet. Rosalie gaped. Emmett, Jane and Riley gaped. Victoria smirked and Jasper, I knew, was rolling his eyes at the "think" part. I leaned back into the chair and clasped my hands together, watching as the seconds ticked by while my other siblings absorbed the words I'd just said. To them, it would be a big deal, since I've been alone the longest in the family.

I never spoke of it much, but in truth, up until this point in time, I'd been pretty lonely. I'd seen the love shining in the eyes of my parents and my siblings and their respective mate and I yearned for that experience myself. Now that the possibility presented itself that I'd found my other hands, I was sure they'd be happy for me.

Wait. Shouldn't I be happy? I thought about it for a moment, imagining Alice's sweet smile and beautiful blue eyes staring back at me. I felt…peaceful looking back at her face, even if it wasn't really there in front of me. I imagined her soft voice, the sound of her laugh, her heavenly aroma, all of them adding to the illusion of Alice in the back of my mind. The way I was drawn to her furthered the experience.

She had to be my mate. There was no other explanation. It _was_ her.

"You found your mate?" Rosalie asked, breaking the silence at last.

I nodded. "Yes."

"The Brandon girl?" Jane asked, astonished.

I nodded again. "Yes. And her name is Alice."

"I thought it was Mary?" Riley inquired, frowning.

"She prefers to go by her middle name, Alice," I stated. "Like you do, Jane."

Jane blanched. She hated it whenever someone pointed out that Jane wasn't really her first name, but her middle name. Apparently she hated her first name so much that when we adopted her, she had Jane become her legal first name. We all knew the truth about it, however, and I will admit that teasing her about it was fun.

"Alice Brandon, that new girl with the fancy car?" Rosalie asked. I nodded again, knowing why she was uncertain. "Her? Are you absolutely positive, Bella?"

"Yes, Rose," I replied, biting my lip. "She's the one. It explains why I feel so drawn to her and why her scent pulls me in the way it does. You remember that night in the woods? That was Alice, Rose. I recognized the scent from when we went to school. It has to be her, Rose. There's no other explanation for the all the things I've felt."

Admitting this fact felt…amazing. It was like some extreme weight had been lifted off of my shoulders and like the gears in my head were finally starting to turn in the right direction.

Alice _was_ my mate.

"It's about damn time you got yourself someone, especially a cute girl like her," Victoria said, coming over to hug me. "I'm happy for you, little sister." She proceeded to kiss my cheek, then gave me a soft peck on the lips and winked at me.

"I agree," Jasper said, giving me a hug as well. "You deserve your happiness."

Jane walked up to me and buried her face in my shoulder, squeezing me. "Happy for you, sis."

"Same here," Riley added, throwing his arm around my shoulders.

Once they'd finished, they went to sit down and I was left with just Rosalie and Emmett.

"Sweet!" Emmett crooned. I was immediately engulfed in my taller brother's arms in his trademark bear hug. He twirled me around several times before setting me down, a big, goofy grin on his teddy-bear face. "You finally found your girl, Bells. That's awesome. And she's pretty hot, too. Now you just gotta put the moves on her and get her in the sack with you—"

I held my hands up. "Whoa, Em, slow down there!" I exclaimed. "Jeez, I have to get to know the girl first before I get together with her. She's a human, for crying out loud, she doesn't even know what I am yet." That realization hit me hard. I hadn't even thought about the fact that Alice had no idea what I really was and that I would need to tell her at some point for this to work. "Oh shit," I breathed.

Rosalie, who had yet to speak yet, nodded. "Yes. She's a human. How is this going to work?"

"I don't know, Rose," I admitted. The others fell silent.

"When the time comes, you should tell her," Jasper suggested. "It's only right."

"She hasn't even gotten to know this girl yet," Rosalie interjected.

"Doesn't mean she won't be drawn to her," Emmett pointed out.

Riley nodded. "It's inevitable that she'll discover the truth. If she's Bella's mate, she'll need to find out sooner or later. And then she'll need to be changed sooner or later, too."

"We'll talk about that later, Riley," Rosalie stated calmly. "It's not something that needs to be discussed right now." She turned to face me and hugged me. "For what it's worth, I'm happy that you have found your mate, Bella. I only hope that this girl is prepared for what she'll be getting herself into when the two of you get together."

"You gonna ask her out?" Emmett asked.

"Ooh, ooh, when do we get to meet her for ourselves?" Victoria chimed.

Jasper chuckled. "I think that comes afterwards, Tori."

"I don't know if I'll like her," Jane grunted. "If she hangs with the Stanley crew…"

"She isn't that bad, Jane," Jasper said.

"We'll see," Jane snorted.

My siblings all started bickering quietly amongst themselves as I stared on, the things that I'd completely forgotten about popping up in my head now. I took in a deep breath and quietly snuck out of the living room, going up to my room and plopping down face first into my bed.

I rolled around and stared up at my ceiling, lost in thought. I had to, at some point in time; tell Alice that I was a vampire, an inhuman bloodsucking creature that could kill her with little trouble whatsoever if I made the wrong move. How the hell was I supposed to go about doing that without scaring her away from me?

I needed help. Not just in figuring out how to tell Alice these important facts, but in going about being around her. I had no idea what to say or do. I'd never dated anyone or asked someone out or anything like that before. I had zero people skills too, that was beyond obvious. I needed help.

Thinking about it, I knew there were only two people I could ask for advice when it came to this sort of thing, from talking to Alice, flirting with Alice and asking her out. I needed experts and I was thankful that I knew those two. Though the fact that they were so open with their relationship could present me with some…er, problems.

I sat up and pulled my cell phone from out of my pocket and found my list of contacts, clicking on the name of one of the two people, my only hope in making this work out. I pulled the phone to my ear and waited as the other end picked up on the second ring.

"Hello, Kate Denali, sex Goddess extraordinaire, how can I help you?" came the response on the other end. I rolled my eyes, knowing that she was fully aware who was calling her.

"Kate, it's Bella. You know that," I sighed.

She giggled. "Yup, that I do. What's cracking, Bell?"

I bit my lip. Was I really going to do this? For Alice's sake, yes, I needed to do it. And for my sake, for that matter.

"I need your help."

**A/N: *gasp***

**Well, I guess I wasn't as good as keeping the mystery boy's identity a secret. Sigh. I must be too predictable. Ah well. It's something different.**

**So I know I said that I wouldn't be posting the next chapter until Blood Solstice finished, but I wanted to end it on an even number (because I'm weird like that), so I decided to post this chapter in order to further appease the readers. Random note, I'm rather happy to say that this story (for the few chapters it has) has almost equaled the number of reviews that Blood Solstice had waaaaaaaaay back when it was this many chapters. That's great news for me. Happy day! :D**

**Oh. And one more thing. I got a comment that said that they (the reader) found Bella annoying and rude. While I do apologize if that is how she comes off, personally, the rudeness she exhibits isn't intentional (and it does sort of add to her charm, don't you think?). Also, they mentioned it being annoying that Bella is in denial about Alice being her mate. Well, would you rather Bella be all "oh hey, we're mates, wanna sleep with me?". Besides, I think most people would react similarly in trying to deny the fact at first until they figured out that it was inevitable. Bella's just in that phase, the struggling phase.**

**And to those of you concerned that she might be too "Edward-y", you don't have to worry. That was never intended to last long. **

**I do have some plans for this story (right now, this is the last chapter I've done for it until Blood Solstice is done). So be patient and I hope that everyone enjoys it as much as they did my other story.**

**P.S. More Amara soon!**


	11. Troublemaker

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any Twilight characters or themes, I only own my characters and ideas and that's that.**

**Troublemaker**

"Are you sure that this isn't a problem?" I asked into the phone.

Kate sighed. "For the third time, no, it's no worry at all. You're my cousin, Bella. We stick together when one of our own has a problem. Besides, you know that we love spending time with our Washington cousins any day of the week."

"Alright," I breathed. "Thank you, Kate. I owe you and Amara a lot for agreeing to this. I'll see you both this weekend."

"Sure thing, see you then," she chuckled.

Once she'd hung up, I flopped down on my bed and closed my cell. I'd spent the last two and a half hours talking with Kate on the phone about my dilemma. After exchanging greetings and talking briefly about our families, I divulged all the information regarding Alice, from the way that I felt when I was near her to her wonderful smell to my own poor control, to Kate.

I'd flat out begged her for help on dealing with Alice. She and Amara were the only lesbians that I knew and I was hoping that they would be able to give me some advice. Kate accepted the task without hesitation and told me that they would do everything they could to help me.

I'm sure that Jasper could sense the relief swarming out of me, knowing that I would get some help from experienced people. It wasn't that I couldn't go to any of my other family members, I knew that I could, but I wasn't sure if their advice was what I needed right now. I did intend to go to my parents regarding my control problems, however.

A knock on the door broke me from my thoughts. "Come in," I said absentmindedly.

For once, it wasn't Jasper. It was Carlisle. I sat up instantly, startled to see my father. It wasn't that I was against it, I was just unused to seeing him appearing in my room. Usually it was the other way around. I welcomed it, though, and smiled brightly at my gentle father.

"Am I interrupting?" Carlisle asked curiously. I shook my head. "May I sit?"

"Of course," I replied. He smiled politely at me and seated himself on my chair, turning it so that it was facing me in full. I situated myself so that I was facing him as well. I was always sure to be respectful towards Carlisle and Esme. They were both wonderful parents and deserved my utmost attention and respect for all that they'd done from me.

"Can I help you with something, Carlisle?" I inquired.

He clasped his hands together and gave me a thoughtful look. "I wanted to come and ask you how you were doing regarding your situation with your mate."

"Oh," I looked downwards. "I was actually just talking with Kate about that. I asked if she and Amara could help give me some advice on how to talk with Alice. I'll be flying down there this weekend to see them. You and the others could come if you wanted to, I'm sure Tanya and Laurent would be happy to see everybody."

"That would be nice," he commented. "I'm afraid that neither Esme nor I will be able to go with you, however, because I am scheduled to work that day and she'll be helping me. Perhaps you could ask your siblings to come along with you, I'm sure they wouldn't mind."

I nodded in understanding, a little bummed that they couldn't go.

"Actually, Bella, I wanted to ask you about…your control," Carlisle said, pausing because he knew how sensitive the topic of my control was.

I flinched. "I don't know, Carlisle. I wish I could say that it wasn't an issue, but it still is."

"I understand, Bella," he replied, moving in closer to place his hand on my shoulder. "That's one of the reasons why I wanted to bring this up. I know that it's personal for you, but I think that Esme and I can help you with your control problems. It might not be easy, but I'm sure that with your stubbornness, you can get through it. We both have faith in you."

"Thanks," I grumbled. "I just wish that I had the same."

Carlisle squeezed my shoulder. "Now Bella, you know that your mother doesn't like it when you have a negative attitude. You just have to have the confidence in yourself. Every one of us has confidence in you and we'll always support you. You know that too."

I looked into his eyes, which glistened with compassion and warmth.

"I do," I whispered. "I'm just afraid. I know that I'm not a monster, but I still fear. Every time I get those urges I think of _him_ and imagine what he's done to innocent lives. I can't be like that, Carlisle, not after what he did to me, what_ he's_ done to me for these past years. I would rather kill myself than become _anything _like that."

"That will never be an issue," my father stated calmly. "You are a kind, loving person with a pure heart and a clear conscience. You might be temperamental, stubborn and a bit rude at times, but all of that adds to your charm and shows how wonderful you are. The exact opposite of..._people_ like that."

I smiled a little, knowing that Carlisle was trying not to say anything too obscene. That wasn't Carlisle's thing because he always tried to be gentlemanly and civil, even if the person he was talking about was far from being either.

"But what can I do?" I asked.

He pursed his lips. "There are several ways that you could go about it. I would be more than glad to perform several training exercises with you, if you like. Or you could try talking one of your siblings regarding how they've dealt with it. Esme would be more than willing to offer advice as well, Bella. It all depends on how you would like to go about doing it. Whatever is comfortable."

"I'll think on it," I said. I knew I had a lot of options, but I didn't know which would work best.

Carlisle nodded. "That's all I ask for, my dear. I have faith in you. Now then, I believe that I have pestered you enough, so I will go. I have some things to look over anyways." He chuckled then and stood up, leaning down to plant a kiss on my forehead. I jumped up and hugged him, thankful for his kind words and support.

"Thank you for believing in me, father," I murmured.

"As is my duty as your father," he replied. "Be well, Bella."

Carlisle then exited my room, giving me one more warm smile before departing. Once he was gone I ran a hand through my hair, thinking about what he'd said. He was right, if my parents and siblings all believed in me, then I really needed to as well. I didn't want to be some whiny, mopey emo that always went on about being a monster, did I? Hell no.

I wasn't going to let my fears control me. No, Isabella Marie Cullen wasn't like that. I wasn't weak and I wasn't going to let my brain tell me otherwise. Alice was my mate. And if I wanted to be with her, I needed to be strong. I bit my lip. No. I _would _be strong. If I wasn't, I would be letting myself, my family and my mate down. I couldn't do that.

Feeling a sense of self-confidence that I hadn't known in quite some time, I walked out of my room and downstairs to where my siblings were, smiling a little. Jasper caught my eye and lifted an eyebrow at me, but I shrugged it off and sat next to Victoria, who flashed me a smile.

The rest of the day was definitely uneventful, but I felt a lot better. Knowing that I had would be getting help from Kate and Amara this weekend and knowing that I had a way to work on my thirst problems had erased my earlier worries. Perhaps the thing that I was most anticipating was seeing Alice again. This time, I wouldn't run from her. I would talk to her.

It was obvious that Alice was going to be a part of my life, one way or another. So I figured that I should get to know her a little. I hoped that we shared some things in common since that would definitely help break the ice between us. That was when I remembered a very important detail about the following day: that weasel boy was going to give me some information.

The more I thought about it, the more I wondered if agreeing to it was a bad idea. I mean, I didn't want to come across as a stalker towards Alice. But then, given the way that the creep I was going to talk to acted, I had a very bad feeling that he might be. If that was the case, then I needed to get what he knew. Because then I could tell him stay away from her. I wasn't going to be allowing some freak stalk her, no way in hell.

I decided to go through with it in the end. It could help me for all I knew.

"You're in an awful chipper mood today," Jane mused in the morning. We were about to leave for school and I was grinning at the excitement of seeing Alice. "I guess getting to see your future mate would be a good reason to be happy."

I frowned at the tone of her voice and looked at her concernedly. "Is there something that's bothering you, Jane? You don't sound very happy."

She sighed. "Bella, I'm ecstatic that you've found your mate, I really am. I'm just not sure if I trust her yet, especially considering who she happens to be "friends" with. Have you actually sat down and talked with this chick yet? We know who her parents are, so for all we know, she's just as annoying and snobbish as they are."

"We _don't_ know, though," Riley pointed out, wrapping his arm around Jane. Jane just scowled at him, not buying his argument. Riley sighed. "Give her a chance, Jane; she might be the complete opposite of her parents. Besides, this is _Bella's_ mate we're talking about here."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

Riley chuckled. "I mean no offense; I'm only saying that since she's your mate, she's bound to have a likable personality. I couldn't imagine you with anyone different."

"Yeah, Lord knows we_ so_ need another Rosalie in the house," Victoria muttered sarcastically.

Rosalie shot her a glare. "And what, pray tell, would be wrong with that, dear sister?" she asked, arching a delicate eyebrow. "I, for one, would love to have another Rosalie in this house. You can never have too much of a good thing, after all."

"I'd rather shave my head," Victoria scoffed.

"Actually, I wouldn't mind another Rosalie either," I interjected. Rosalie smirked.

Jane snorted. "That's because you and Rosalie were fuck buddies before Emmett came along."

"And after," Emmett pouted. "But did I get to watch? _No_, I was "forbidden" from it."

He crossed his arms and huffed like a toddler, which caused me to giggle quietly. Emmett had always complained about his lack of being able to watch in the past. He had tried, but Rosalie always threatened to rip his "package" off if he did. That kept him quiet and away.

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "Emmett, that's over and done now so stop complaining."

"Doesn't mean you won't do it again," he grumbled, though it sounded more like a suggestion.

Esme blurred into the room and gave Emmett a stern look. "Young man, how many times have I told you to keep your nose out of your sister's personal affairs?" He hung his head and nodded, though it was obvious that he was smiling. "And Jane, sweetheart, just give this girl a chance. I, for one, am excited about meeting her whenever Bella decides to bring her over."

"Fine," Jane grunted. "Whatever."

"Mom," I groaned. "I've barely talked to her and you think I'll be inviting her over? C'mon…"

She tsk-ed and pulled me into a tight hug. Her lips pressed against my cheek. "Bella, I don't want to hear that crap from you anymore. And it's not like I'm forcing you to drag her over here this second, I'm just anticipating when it happens. I can't wait to meet her. But please, take your time in getting to know this girl, there really is no rush, sweetie."

I nodded. "Alright, just promise me that you won't pester me about it."

Esme beamed. "Of course not, Bella. I'm sure your siblings will do that for me," she giggled.

"Yup!" Emmett boomed, his early frown gone with the wind.

Jasper snickered. "We'll go easy on her, though. We promise."

"I'll kick both your asses if you don't," Jane warned.

"Hey, you're supposed to be on our side!" Emmett complained. "No fair."

Jane snorted. "I'm on nobody's side but my own, big brother. I would've thought you'd have learned that by now."

"Please, you're _always _on Bella's side," Emmett protested. Jane looked like she was about to reply, but he cut her off. "And don't bother denying it, Janie; everyone knows that aside from Riley and our parents, Bella's your favorite in the family."

Had I not known Emmett as well as I did, I might have mistaken him for being jealous. He was just giving Jane a hard time because she and I were very physically affectionate. I knew it didn't bother him and I knew it didn't bother Riley, either. I hugged them too, after all. Well, maybe not as much as I did the girls, but hey, I've got an excuse.

They continued bickering even after we left the house for school. I remained quiet, too busy thinking about Alice and talking to her. Plus there was that human boy that I would be seeing towards the end of the day. I wasn't sure if I was looking forward to that or not, but if it helped me get closer to Alice and kept him away, then I was all for it.

"Mind if I ask what you're thinking about?" Victoria asked, breaking my reverie.

We were already at school and had just exited the vehicles. I shrugged and leaned against the side of her car since I'd carpooled with her and Jasper.

"About Alice," I replied. I didn't even bother lying. There was no point.

"What about her?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.

I ran a hand through my hair. "How I plan to go about getting to know her better, what I'll learn from Kate and Amara this weekend, dealing with…" My voice trailed off as a familiar yellow Porsche pulled into the parking lot. My heart would have skipped a beat if possible from the sheer glee I felt that she wasn't with that clown today.

Jasper chuckled and wrapped his arm around Victoria. "Perhaps we should leave her be."

Victoria nodded and kissed my cheek before the two walked off to class, leaving me to myself as I watched the driver's side door slowly open. Alice stepped out, a smirk on her lips as she fluffed her hair and shut the door behind her. Our eyes locked mere seconds later and, after a silent moment, she began to walk toward me. Before I knew it, I was doing the same.

We stopped in front of each other and for what felt like hours neither of us spoke.

"Hello," I greeted, deciding to break the silence.

She smiled. "Hey yourself," she replied.

I fumbled around various things to say in my head and ended up going with the easiest.

"I see that you're back to driving that sweet car of yours," I commented.

Alice laughed, the musical sound catching me off guard for a moment. "Yeah, I figured that since James' car was, uh, "vandalized" that I would drive myself. Personally, I prefer driving myself anyways since I can listen to the music I want to listen to and I don't have to endure being asked out thirty times in a row."

There was something about the way she said "vandalized" that made me think that she somehow knew what had really happened. I furrowed my brow at the thought, but shook it off. She wasn't even there when I destroyed the creep's car, so she couldn't know.

"So his name's James?" I asked, cocking my head to the side.

"Yes. His family, the Witherdales are close to my family. I met him several years ago. My parents seem hell-bent on getting us together, but I'm not really interested in him that way. He's a nice enough guy, I suppose, but…I don't know, there's something about him that I don't like."

I silently nodded, holding in any response that my brain may have wanted me to utter. I made a mental note that I would be meeting with James later on as Alice and I slowly began walking toward the school. It was obvious that Alice was taking her time purposefully and I kicked myself to try and say something, to get a conversation started.

"How old are you?" I blurted out, wanting to smack myself the second I did. What the hell kind of stupid question is that? Ugh, I really _did _need Kate and Amara's help.

Alice seemed confused at first, but her smile returned shortly after. "I'm eighteen years old. How about you?" she inquired.

"Seventeen," I whispered. I'd often lied about my age in the past, but the fact that this girl was supposed to be my mate made it difficult for me to lie. Besides, it wasn't that unbelievable that I was seventeen years old, was it? Aside from the fact that I'd been seventeen for a long, long time, that is. She didn't need to know that now, however.

"Seventeen, huh? You don't look seventeen," Alice mused, pursing her lips. She giggled at the puzzled look that crossed my face. "I don't mean that as an insult, I mean that you have a much more mature air about you."

I blinked. "Oh. Thank you."

I was beyond thankful that my siblings weren't around at that moment because I knew that they'd be cracking up if they had been. They all knew that I was _far_ from being mature and I'd be the first to admit to that fact. Then again, they were worse than I was, so they wouldn't have any room to talk that way.

"What's so funny?" Alice asked, grinning.

"Thinking about my siblings," I shrugged, unable to wipe the grin from my face.

"You're very close to them, I take it," she murmured as we walked up the steps.

I nodded. "I love them to death. They're very important to me." I was slowly starting to become more distinctly aware of her potent chocolaty scent, but noticed that there was another scent mixed in with it. It was super sweet and not her own. Perfume?

"That's really cool," Alice said. "You're lucky you have so many siblings. Are you the oldest?"

I chuckled and shook my head. "No, I'm actually the youngest." Technically, I was the second oldest in terms of how long I'd been alive. Rosalie was one year older than me when she was turned, which was a few months after I had been, so she was the oldest. But in actuality, I was the youngest physically at seventeen, Emmett the oldest at twenty.

"Wow," she breathed, clearly surprised by my response. I wondered why. "I would've thought that you were one of the older ones. To be honest, I kind of thought the other blonde sister, Jane I think, would be the youngest in the family."

My lips twitched and I had to keep myself from bursting into laughter. If Jane had heard that, she would likely be trying to claw Alice's face off. She hated it when someone mistook her for being the youngest simply because of her size. And I didn't think that it would win Alice any points in Jane's eyes either, another good reason that she was absent.

"Nope, I'm the youngest," I said after keeping the laughter from escaping. I was thankful that I was good at fixing my facial expressions quickly; otherwise I'd probably look funny to her.

"I see. Are they protective of you?" Alice asked, stopping in her tracks.

We were inside the school now and I was much more aware of her smell and the scents of the humans around us. There were a few in the hall, staring at Alice and I. She didn't seem to notice their staring, however, and instead her crystalline eyes bored directly into mine. Again, there was something odd about the way she was looking at me. Maybe it was her instincts?

"They are supremely protective of me," I told her.

I couldn't stress that enough. Rosalie had put over twenty people in the hospital with only an inch of their lives left because they'd touched me wrong, Jane constantly used her gift on strangers that tried to hit on me, Jasper scared a great deal off with his gift, Emmett with his size and Victoria had issued many, many threats to people to stay away from me. Riley had gotten involved with several before too, which never ended well.

My siblings were indeed protective of me, more than I'd ever imagined.

Sometimes I felt that they could be a little too protective, which got annoying. They'd gotten better at it over the years, other than Rosalie who wasn't as good as keeping herself in check. I was just as protective of them as they were of me, however. It showed how much we loved one another and how strong our bonds were as a family and a coven.

"That's good," Alice murmured, her tone a little offhanded. "I wish my sister was the same."

I was about to ask her what she meant, but the sound of the bell ringing cut me off. I cursed under my breath and started walking off to my class. Alice walked with me silently, her brow creased as if she were lost in thought.

"Will I see you in class today?" Alice asked.

I bit my lip when I remembered what I needed to do and ran a hand through my hair nervously.

"I don't know," I replied. "I might stick around for a little while, but it depends on how I feel."

She frowned, clearly not pleased by my answer. I felt a bit guilty that I couldn't give her an exact answer, but I did want to get my business with her irritating "friend" over with. I wasn't sure, but I had a sneaking suspicion about the guy. And if my suspicion was right…

"Alright then," Alice sighed, still frowning. "I'll see you later then. Bye Bella."

"Bye Alice," I replied.

I watched her walk off before trudging off to my class, my brain telling me that I had just given her a bad answer. I shrugged the thought off as I sat down, ignoring the look that the teacher shot me for being late to class. Most of the day went by fairly fast. I zoned out in all of my classes, only paying attention when my name was called. Otherwise, my thoughts were on Alice.

Lunch time was the first time since I'd walked into my first period that I bothered to pay attention to what was going on around me. My eyes scanned the lunchroom as I made my way to my family's table. When I didn't see Alice, I started to get worried and wondered if I had hurt her feelings with my earlier comment.

"Relax, Bella," Jasper said near me, sending a wave of calm my way. "Why are you worrying?"

"I don't see Alice," I replied, running both sets of fingers through my scalp.

"She's outside," Emmett said. "I saw her out there talking to some guy. I think he's the one that you were talking about, the one with the car you ruined. He was getting real close to her, like he was trying to get her to kiss him or something."

My instincts flared up and I was on my feet in seconds. Rosalie, Jasper and Victoria intercepted me before I could move, Rosalie wrapping her arms around me in front, Victoria in back and Jasper placing a hand on my shoulder, flooding calmness into my body. I growled, but neither of the three moved or released me.

"Let me go," I hissed.

"No," Rosalie replied, staring into my eyes. "Not until you calm down."

I tried to fight them off, but Jasper's powers were too strong, especially since he had physical contact with me. The calmness eventually won out and my shoulders slumped as I gave in to Jasper's gift and let out a tense sigh. A few seconds later Jasper and Victoria let me go, leaving only Rosalie, whose eyes smoldered with worry.

"Bella, you can't let your instincts control you," she murmured. "That's one of the most important things when it comes to your mate. I know that it's hard to do and it will be hard, but if you give in to your instincts, you might hurt Alice."

I flinched at the thought of that and remembered what had happened before when my thirst had nearly taken over. I hung my head, ashamed of myself. Rosalie pulled me closer and hugged me tightly while rubbing my back. I relaxed into my older sister's arms, noticing the glares she shot at any of the humans who dared look in our direction.

Eventually she released me, giving me a warm smile. "Now go to her, and be gentle on the boy."

"If I said I wanted to castrate him would that be considered gentle enough?" I asked.

Rosalie tried to fight back a smirk. "Bella."

"I blame Jane and Victoria," I shrugged. "They're influencing me."

Jane snorted. "Ha! I'd do worse."

"Enough, Jane," Riley soothed. "Go on, Bella."

The moment Rosalie released me, I smoothly moved past her and out of the cafeteria, struggling to keep my speed at a human pace. Once I was outside my eyes zeroed in on the parking lot where I saw Alice and James. James had his hands on her and was slurring his words. The stink of alcohol flooded into my nostrils, an overwhelming stench that made me cringe in disgust.

I ignored my disgust and instead focused on my rage as I stormed towards them.

"James, let me go," Alice commanded. "You're drunk and I refuse to speak to you like this."

He grinned lazily. "C'mon Ali babe, there's no one else around. It's just one quick kiss."

Alice whipped her hands out of his grasp. "I said no. You stink and I want nothing to do with you, do you hear me? Leave me alone and I might consider forgiving you for this later, but keep it up and I'll have you thrown in jail for sexual harassment. Stop it, James. We've been friends for years now, don't ruin it like this."

James actually moved back a bit, some form of intelligence remnant in his eyes. He took a step forward with his hand slowly stretching out, but just as I got there, Alice thrust her left knee directly into the little weasel's crotch. He yelped and collapsed onto the ground in pain. Alice turned and almost ran into me, but stopped herself.

"Bella!" she gasped, surprised. "What are you doing out here?"

I glared menacingly at the downed fool and fought back the urge to kill him.

"I saw that he had his hands on you," I replied through my teeth. "Thought something was wrong by the way you were struggling."

Alice shrugged. "It was nothing, really. He was just being a drunken ass."

I whipped my head around to face her. "Nothing? Do you realize what he could've done to you?"

My tone might have been harsher than necessary, but my irritation at the stupid human for touching Alice had seeped through. Alice, surprisingly, didn't seem offended by the harshness and instead seemed…delighted? Her eyes shone as she smiled softly at me, reaching up to gently touch my cheek. The physical contact was so sudden that I jumped back on instinct. Alice pulled her hand back and looked sheepishly at me.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"

I blinked several times and relaxed. "No, it's fine. Sorry. I don't understand why you're so nonchalant about what just happened, what _could_ have happened."

"He wouldn't have hurt me," Alice stated confidently. "He knows I'd kick his ass if he tried anything like that. Besides, this isn't the first time the fool's gotten drunk and tried to flirt with me and it's not the first time I've had to stop him. He'll probably feel like shit for it when he comes to and apologize like he's done before."

"He's done this before?" I asked. "And you still hang out with him?"

Alice sighed. "I guess I just feel a bit bad for him. It's not like he's aggressive when he gets drunk either, he just gets…stupider. It's only happened twice before and each time he did it, it took longer for him to start up drinking again. I think that this is the last time he'll ever drink and try to hit on me. I'll make sure that it is, either way."

I gaped at the girl, unable to really figure out what to say to her. Was she for real?

"Anyways, I apologize for worrying you," Alice said, giving me a sincere look. "Please don't worry about me, though. I may not be the tallest, but I do know how to take care of myself. As for James, don't worry about him either. He'll probably just sulk and walk back to where I told him that I'd meet him after school."

"Er….okay," I muttered, the anger from earlier gone with the wind.

"Do you want to head back with me to the cafeteria?" Alice asked, hopeful.

I bit my lip and looked down at James. "Actually, I'd like to have a word with him." Alice's face fell and she looked like she was about to protest, but I held a hand up to stop her. "I'm not going to do or say anything to him; I just want to make sure that he knows not to do that again, I promise. That's what friends are for, right?"

Alice furrowed her brow at me for a moment. I flashed her a smile, which always seemed to do the trick when it came to charming men, hoping that it would affect her the same. Luckily for me, it did indeed work the same. Alice looked completely thrown off and had to blink several times to adjust herself. She nodded silently and just walked off.

I watched her go, waiting until she was in the building before my smile dropped and I turned my attention to the blonde boy as he staggered to his feet.

"Ouch," he grumbled. "What happened…ooh…shit…"

I cracked my knuckles, the noise louder than necessary to grab his attention. His eyes widened when he recognized me. He took a step back, fear resonating in his eyes as the anger from earlier creeped back and into the glare I shot him.

"Shit indeed," I growled. "Now be a good little boy and stay still. You and I have some personal business to attend to, James Witherdale. And I am _not_ in a good mood right now."

**A/N: Somebody's not happy...**

**Well, there ya go, a long awaited Broken Aurora chapter. With Blood Solstice done, I can focus more on this one. Of course, with the fact that I'm still working on Blood Solstice as a sort of side project now, I guess it doesn't change much aside from which story is the main one and which one is the backseat one. Oh well.**

**So yes, to those of you who guessed that the mystery boy was James, well done. To those of you who weren't sure, you now know and...yeah. I wanted to save it for later as a surprise, but seeing as how it's hard to do given the way I've characterized him, I figured I'd throw you peeps a bone and go from there. You can now begin pondering what role you think James will play in this story. Only I know the end result, but it's kind of amusing to see people throw their guesses out there. :P**

**I know that some of you have said that you like this better than Blood Solstice. That's all well and good, but it'll never be the case for me. Blood Solstice will always have a special place in my heart because it was my first, sort of like how Carlisle and Esme view Bella in this story. Hee hee.**

**Next update may be a while. Say, three or so days? It's almost Christmas, so, yeah. Holiday vacation coming up for me.**


	12. Jackass

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight and all Twilight characters. I own my own characters and ideas. As if I must compare and contrast the two of us. :P**

**Jackass**

The foolish human sputtered and held his hands up in confusion. I could see that he was still a little intoxicated, hell; I could _smell_ that he was intoxicated. Blech. He reeked! I could barely keep my glare up because the stench emanating from him was so strong. How could Alice stomach to be near someone as foul as this?

"I remember you," he slurred, fixating his eyes on me. "You're that chick that wanted all the information on my girl Alice."

I twitched at the "my girl" part. He was really pushing the limits of my nerves at this point in time and I was close to snapping him in half. It was a struggle to keep my temper down, knowing full well that killing him would do more harm than good. I'd already vowed to never end another human life and besides, we were in the school parking lot. I needed to stay calm.

"Yes, I did," I replied. "That's irrelevant right now."

He snorted. "Ha! I don't even have it with me…I forgot it at home." He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples several times before shaking his head. "Man, my head is killing me. And my chest hurts too. Damn it, why'd she have to knee me there? Bitch…"

That did it. I snarled and grabbed him by the throat as tight as I could without actually hurting the bastard, since I knew that I could make his head pop off with ease. He grunted as I pulled him close, making sure that my eyes were dead locked onto his.

"You do not call her a bitch, do you hear me?" I hissed. "You deserved what you got for trying to force yourself on her, you little cretin. Had it been me, I would've done much _worse_ to you than just knee you in the crotch. Now you'd best listen and listen good, James Witherdale, because if I have to repeat myself, there will be hell to pay."

"What the hell are you talking about?" he asked. "I didn't do anything to you."

"Not to me, to Alice." I narrowed my eyes. "I don't approve of you trying to _force_ her to _kiss _you like that you drunken swine. That is immoral, un-gentlemanly and it pisses me off. You will not do that again, Witherdale. I _never_ want to see you try it."

He tried to free himself from my grip, but failed rather miserably. I kicked myself for that, but the fool was still a bit drunk, so it was obvious his brain wasn't able to piece together the fact that someone smaller than he was able to hold him in place like that.

"What's it matter to you for?" he asked snidely. "Last time I checked, Alice was _my_ girl. Okay, so she might not be my girl officially as of yet, but it's only a matter of time. All I need to do is work a little bit of the Witherdale charm on her and it's in the bag. And no more drinking. Ugh."

I struggled to keep my hand from squeezing any tighter and looked around in the parking lot, eyeing a car that I recognized and smiling inwardly. I pulled the weasel towards the car with as little strength as I could muster and, before he had a chance to react, I lifted him up and dropped him down on the front end of the car. He landed roughly and yelped, but thankfully I didn't hear the sound of broken bones or smell any blood.

"Ow! Damn it!" he whined, rolling off of the now-dented car onto the ground in pain. I couldn't help but admire the dents that now decorated the car, which conveniently belonged to the oh-so-loveable Jessica Stanley. It was like killing two birds with one stone. Or ruining the day of two idiots with one throw, as the case was. "What the hell was that for?"

"Get up, fool," I growled. "Snap out of your drunken haze and pay attention to me."

James grumbled and staggered to his feet, one hand rubbing his back, the other grabbing hold of the car hood to lift himself up and support.

"Fucking bitch," he grumbled, shooting me a measly glare. "Just who do you think you are tossing me around like that? And how are…I don't care, do you know who I am? Do you know who my family is? I'm one of the richest people in this shithole town, not to mention extremely popular at my school and a brown belt in karate!"

I lifted an eyebrow. "Is that so? Here I thought you were just a scum-sucking freak of nature that had an obsession with a pretty girl that he thought was his, but wasn't. If you really were rich, then my family would actually know who you were, too. Nice try with the lies, pal. I'm not falling for them and I'm sure as hell not interested in hearing them."

"I'm not lying," he spat. "I…ooh…" He paused and straightened himself up, grimacing at the pain in his body. I felt smug, but I refused to show it. "Damn. Just ask Alice, she can vouch for me. She knows, my family's real tight with hers. That's why it's a given that we'll be together."

"You think that she'll be yours just because your families are close?" I asked, baffled and a little annoyed. "Are you brain dead or something, boy? That's not how it works at all. How do you know that she just wants to be…_friends_ with you instead, huh? You have no way of knowing that she has any feelings for you other than, er, that."

I almost felt like gagging when I called him her "friend", but I had to be careful at wording it.

He scoffed and waved it off. "You hardly know her, whereas _I _know her super well."

He was really starting to piss me off now, the little maggot. Realizing that my threats weren't going to be enough, I walked up to him, grabbed him by the cuff of his shirt and, as gently as I could manage, I lifted my knee up into his crotch, mimicking what Alice had done to him. He keeled over in pain again, squealing like a little schoolgirl.

I let him drop to the ground immediately after and pressed my left foot into his chest, further aggravating the amount of pain there. I didn't feel sorry for him in the slightest and wished that I could do more to him. Were I a human I would pummel the ever-loving crap out of him, but because doing so now would kill him, I was forced to hold back.

"Mercy! Mercy, mercy, mercy!" the human whimpered, gasping for air beneath me. I rolled my eyes at his over-dramatization because I knew that I was barely applying any pressure. If anything, my foot was just there, light as a feather, no force at all.

"Quit whining, you wuss," I sighed.

"I'll do whatever you want, just don't hurt me anymore, please!" he begged.

I stared down at him and narrowed my eyes. "Stay away from Alice."

"What?"

"Stay. Away. From. Alice," I growled, making sure to annunciate each word. "I don't want you to do something you'll both regret and I sure as hell don't want you hurting her. So stay away from her and I promise I won't hunt you down and hurt you."

"What the hell are you talking about?" he demanded. "Why does it matter to you, even? You clearly don't even know her that well if you were going to come to me for information."

I bit my lip. He had me there. But I wasn't about to give up just like that. I didn't trust him and I was generally right when it came to trusting my instincts. I was a vampire, after all. Part of me knew that this was then right thing to do for myself since I wanted to get closer to Alice and he would be an obvious obstacle in preventing me from that.

That wasn't the right way to think, however, hence why I was doing it more so because I didn't trust him and I wanted to protect Alice from him. Maybe he was just a freak of nature with a drinking problem and a small brain or maybe he was all that and a viable threat. I didn't know, but I didn't want to chance it with Alice's safety being on the line.

"I know, that's true," I admitted. "I shouldn't have said that. If I want to be her friend, then I need to learn about her by talking to her, not by talking to some weasel like you."

James scoffed again. Funny how his whining ceased altogether now that he knew what I wanted, as if he were trying to play the "tough guy" routine against me.

"Please! Don't give me that crap," he groaned. "Why are you _really_ trying to keep me away from Alice, huh? I bet one of those punks at your school bribed you or some shit like that in order to try and scare me away from her. I got news for you, it ain't happening. Go tell whoever it is that bribed you that they can kiss my ass. Alice will be _my_ girlfriend, not theirs."

I balled my hands into fists and clenched them tightly as I took in a long, sharp breath and released it, trying to keep my temper down. This boy was really beginning to try my patience and that was about ready to evaporate into thin air if he didn't start listening. Keeping both my vampiric instincts and my temper down was incredibly hard, harder than I'd imagined.

I was surprised that Jasper wasn't out here since my emotions were likely strong enough for him to feel all the way in school. Even more surprising was that I didn't feel any form of bloodlust, though I attributed this to the fact that I was too busy wanting to rip the punk into shreds to even bother thinking about the blood running through his veins.

I applied pressure onto my foot, which caused him to yelp. "I'll be nice and make this easy for you to understand, you pea-brained ingrate. Either you keep your grubby hands off of her and you stop making drunken advances on her, or I will _hurt_ you. Am I clear?"

I could tell that he clearly didn't understand what I was saying.

"_**I said do I make myself clear?**_" I snarled, letting my vampiric instincts seep through my words in order to better get my point across.

James' eyes bulged in fear and a familiar, disturbing scent filtered into the air. I grimaced when I realized that he'd soiled himself, disgusted, yet strangely satisfied. Damn, I really need to stop being around Jane and Rosalie so much. Their enjoyment of causing people they don't like torment is starting to get to me. Ugh.

"I-I-I u-understand-d…" the boy stammered feebly, frightened.

I allowed myself a smile and removed my foot from his chest at last, watching as he scooted away like a frightened rabbit and glanced down at his now-stained undergarments.

"Good boy," I said, crossing my arms. "Now go clean yourself up and do something constructive with your life. Shave, bathe and stop drinking and you might just find yourself a girl that will like you for being you, not this ravaged Neanderthal."

He blinked, my words floating right over his head. I pinched the bridge of my nose.

I sighed. "Let me rephrase that so you can better understand, Witherdale. Alice was right. You stink. You are filthy and disgusting and no girl will ever want you. So either you clean your act up or you'll be a lonely fool for the rest of your life."

That seemed to register with him and he scowled, clearly insulted. He smartly kept his mouth shut, however, and crawled to his feet before scurrying off as fast as a human male who had just received two crotch shots in a row could. I watched him limp off for a moment before sighing and turning around, knowing that I needed to get my ass back to school.

I wondered how much time has passed since I went outside to deal with the lout. As I made my way back, I noticed both Rosalie and Jane looming near the entrance way, watching me with placid faces and bemused eyes. I stopped once I reached the top of the stairs and looked at each of them, knowing what they were smiling about, yet confused why they were here.

"What are you two doing out here?" I inquired.

Jane snickered. "Jasper could feel your emotions and got a little concerned, so we volunteered to come out to make sure you didn't kill anybody. Watching you deal with that James clod was pretty entertaining, actually. I'm surprised you didn't rip his arms off. I probably would've gotten tired of his crap a long time ago and just used my gift on him."

Rosalie patted Jane on the head. "We know, Jane. Not all of us have gifts we can use to shut annoying people up, however." Jane rolled her eyes as Rosalie removed her hand and returned her eyes to me. "At any rate, I'm proud of you, Bella. Even though that idiot deserved worse than what he got, you were able to keep your wits about you and not tear him into pieces."

"I wanted to," I sighed. "Deep down, I wanted to. I knew it would be wrong, though. I can't let my inner instincts get the better of me with things like that. But no matter how hard I try, sometimes those thoughts pop up in my mind and they won't go away. I swear it's like I'm prone to violent thinking and wanting to control things. I hate it because…"

I flinched and hung my head, images of him flashing before me.

Rosalie came and wrapped her arms around me, pulling me close. "I know," she whispered, squeezing me tightly against her. I relaxed into her body and allowed her vanilla scent to enter my nostrils in order to calm me down. "I know. I know what it's like, Bella. We've both been down that road more than once in the past. I think I know another reason why you felt what you did when you were talking to the boy."

I rested my head on her shoulder. "Why?" I asked.

"We overheard you talking to him. He tried to force himself on her, yes?" Rosalie inquired.

I nodded, not pulling away. If there was one thing I liked, it was the comfort that being close to my family members brought me. Physical affection was my greatest weakness and yet my greatest attachment to them, Esme especially. It soothed me and if anyone else ever had a problem with it, I'd flip them off and ignore them.

"He tried to _kiss_ her while he was intoxicated," I replied. "That pissed me off."

"I see," Rosalie said quietly. "That explains it. Don't you see, Bella? You may not have thought it when you saw him trying to do that at first, but in your mind, you probably likened it to what happened to you all those years ago. That's why you felt so inclined to hurt him; as an act of revenge, the same revenge that you want against the person who hurt you."

I furrowed my brow at her words and thought about it. An image of James with his hands on Alice's shoulders trying to press his disgusting lips to hers popped into my head. Then a faded memory of myself as a human and _him_ in a similar position formed, showing the similarities between the two occurrences. I shuddered and pushed the thoughts away, burying my face into my older sister's neck, using her scent to help clear my mind.

Jane came to stand behind me and wrapped her arms around my waist for support. I was thankful that my siblings were so loving and sighed quietly, feeling much better now. A few minutes passed and eventually they both released me. I ran my fingers through my hair and gave them both a sheepish smile, unsure of what to do next.

"We should get to class," Rosalie suggested, rather sourly I might add.

"Do we have to?" Jane asked. "I hate my next class."

"You hate all of your classes, Jane," Rosalie pointed out. "Besides, Bella has Alice in her next class and I'm betting she wants to talk with her, don't you, Bella?"

I mentally smacked myself for forgetting that I had class with Alice. I nodded curtly to my sisters and mumbled a quiet "thank you" before bolting inside and running as fast as I could—at a human pace—towards class, not even knowing if class had started or not. It didn't matter if I was late since my status as a Cullen made that a nonissue, but still.

It lessened my time to get to know her. That was a reason enough for me to rush.

Once I got to the classroom I hastily walked inside, realizing a little too late that I didn't even have my backpack with me. Ignoring that fact, I sat down in my seat, shooting a brief apologetic look to the teacher, who merely shrugged. I glanced at the clock and felt a little relieved that I was only one minute late. I guess time was on my side. I just didn't know if that was good or not.

"Miss Cullen, where is your backpack?" the teacher asked. I grimaced and tried to think of some form of excuse that I could use. I didn't have to, since luckily a few seconds later Jasper appeared with my backpack with him and walked over to hand it to me. He winked at me and disappeared without a word. I merely set the infernally useless object under my desk and forgot about it. Not like I needed it anyways. The teacher shrugged it off and began class.

"How did the talk go?" Alice asked me.

I raised an eyebrow at her, finding it curious that she was willing to not pay attention in class.

"Fine," I replied. "I think I made my point."

Alice nodded, smiling a rather beautiful smile. I cocked my head to the side, wondering why she was smiling at my response. There was definitely something odd about the way she reacted whenever we talked. I wasn't sure if I should be worried or not by that fact. Then again, maybe I was just being paranoid and all she was doing was being pleasant.

"So Bella, I was actually wondering if you were maybe free this weekend," Alice murmured, looking at me with tentative eyes. Her vibrant, ocean blue orbs sparkled as they stared into mine and I could see the hope etched into them. I felt awful for having to deny her invitation, but in the end, the fact that I would be learning how to get closer to her would make it worth it.

I hope.

I gave her a sincere, apologetic smile. "I would love to, but I'm afraid that I'm going out of town this weekend to visit my family in Alaska. I'm sorry, Alice. Perhaps the following weekend we could do something?" I asked, hoping to God that she wouldn't be too hurt.

Alice stared at me for a moment before smiling and nodding. I could tell that she was a little upset by the fact, but she didn't show it much and returned her attention to the teacher. I got this strange feeling about her and wondered what it was about this girl that enticed me so. First off there were her reactions, then there was her scent. I guess the fact that I saved her life several years ago and was pretty certain that she recognized me as her savior was part of it too.

The more I thought about this fact, the more I wondered if she knew more than what she was letting on. I _knew_ that she knew, there was no question of that. She didn't betray it in the way that she acted or moved, but I could see it in her eyes. I think what worried me most was her lack of acknowledging the fact that she knew, too, like she was waiting for the right moment.

It made me nervous. I didn't know what to do as I thought about it. Damn it, why was I cursed with a mind that would not shut up about things like this? I would give anything to have a simplistic mind like Emmett's. He wouldn't worry about this type of thing; he'd probably accept it and move on, maybe even teasing it. I couldn't do that, it wasn't in my nature.

"Are you okay, Bella?" Alice asked, her voice relaying her concern.

I looked at her and noticed the worried look on her face. "Uh, yeah, sorry, I'm just thinking."

She frowned. "You must've been thinking pretty hard. You looked like you were in pain."

Her concern for me was touching and it alleviated some of my worries. Regardless of the fact that she knew about my saving her, it clearly didn't seem to faze her in a bad way. In fact, I felt like I could see the interest and curiosity in her eyes. I sighed and shook my head, trying to get a grip over myself. I could stare into her eyes forever, but I knew that it'd be wrong to do that.

"I'm fine," I replied quietly. "I'm just a bit stressed out. Thank you for your concern, though."

"If you're sure," she whispered. I nodded and she shrugged.

We didn't speak much for the rest of class. I tried to talk to her, but I didn't have a clue what to say exactly, further proving that I needed Kate and Amara's help. I sucked at talking to people that weren't from my family which I knew was my own fault. Part of it was that I had never bothered to socialize with people before due to my fear of letting my control slip. The other part was that people generally didn't anything to do with me. Well, other than the vast number of hormonally driven males who I tended to ignore.

Alice was no hormonally driven male, however. She was an elegant young woman that I knew very little about aside from the fact that she smelled wonderful and that she was my mate, a fact that I doubted that she was aware of. I could have learned about her through James, but I didn't trust him and I knew that it would have been wrong to do it that way.

I needed a chance to get to know Alice better. It didn't have to be much, just something away from school that would allow me time to get closer. I would even be willing to accept a phone conversation with her, which would actually be much better than doing so physically. My control still wasn't up to par yet for me to be around her for too long.

Hopefully I would be able to fix that in the coming months. I knew that I would be talking to Carlisle and the others about advice and ideas for how to train myself. Then I would be able to be around Alice freely without worrying about her blood. Oh.

_Crap, don't start thinking about it or else you'll get thirsty, you moron!_ I berated myself, forcing the thoughts away. At least I was getting better at shutting down thoughts and ideas that didn't belong in my head rather quickly. I'd gotten good at that over the years due to constantly thinking about my past experiences involving…yeah. Now wasn't the time for that.

"Alright class, I have an announcement for you," the teacher said, breaking me from my thought process. "There will be no school tomorrow because it is a teacher work day. You were supposed to find out about this earlier in the week because we were going to send out a notice via mail, but for some reason our copy machine wasn't working and we were unable to figure out another way to inform all of you. All classes this period and next are being told. So your homework…"

I tuned out the rest of the teacher's words and heard the sound of a heart beating a little faster. I turned slightly to my right and saw Alice staring down at the blank piece of paper in front of her with an odd expression on her face. I could tell she was lost in thought and wondered if she'd heard the joyous news that we wouldn't have to come to school tomorrow.

But wait! That meant I wouldn't have the chance to talk with Alice tomorrow either. I wasn't sure if I should be upset by that fact or relieved because it gave me more of a chance to look into ways to train my control. I bit my lip in frustration, not knowing what to do.

"Bella?" Alice asked, breaking my train of thought again—though it was a welcome break.

"Yes, Alice?" I inquired, turning to look at her fully.

She toyed with the pen in her hand for a moment before responding. "I was wondering if you would be willing to exchange phone numbers with me. I understand if you'd rather not, but…well, I won't lie. I want to get to know you a bit better and it'd be nice to have someone to chat with that wasn't my sister. So what do you say?"

I could see the hope in her eyes and felt relief swell up within me. For once, I could give her an actual answer without having to hide behind an excuse.

"That sounds like a nice idea," I replied, giving her a smile that unintentionally dazzled the poor girl into a state of awe for a few seconds. I reached my hand over to and pointed to the blank piece of paper in her midst. "May I have a small piece?" She nodded and tore a piece without a word, clearly trying to gather herself.

I couldn't help feeling a little smug. It was good to know that I had the same effect on her that she tended to have on me. With a smile on my face, I scribbled down my cell phone number, which would make talking to her in private much easier. Once I'd finished, I slipped the small piece of paper over to her. She took it with a thankful smile and did the same to another piece before sliding it over to me, which I took and placed in my pocket.

"Thank you, Bella," Alice said politely. "Should I be aware of any restrictions on when I can or cannot call you?" She seemed genuinely curious as she cocked her head to the side. I tried not to giggle at the thought of there being "restrictions" on me. Esme found them laughable and would happily debate with any parent who disagreed with her.

"No, not really," I replied casually.

"What time do you usually go to bed at?" she asked.

Crap, I didn't know what the typical teenager time was. Wasn't it ten? Or was it eight?

"Nine thirty," I lied, going for a decent sounding time. She seemed a little annoyed, but accepted my answer without question, scribbling it down on the paper with my cell number.

"My parents make me go to bed at eight o'clock sharp," Alice informed me, scowling with disdain at the fact. "Sometimes they'll extend the time to eight thirty, like when it's a holiday or when it's the weekend. Otherwise, they tell me that I should be in my room by that time."

I felt a little bad for the poor girl. It was unsurprising that her parents would be strict and I was thankful that the time wasn't earlier than that. It did limit things, though, since I tended to spend a lot of my time with my siblings during the day. I noticed a glint in her eyes and felt my lips curl into another grin, realizing that there was more to her story.

"It stinks having to be in bed that early, but the one thing that makes it good is that my parents never both checking up on me. They remain downstairs in our house, which is practically a mansion with all the money they make. So in reality, it's not so bad because I can stay up much later watching TV or going on my laptop. I doubt that they'd notice me using my cell phone."

Her eyes shimmered mischievously and I smirked.

"You're not as much of a "goodie-goodie" as I thought you were, Mrs. Brandon," I teased, hoping that it wouldn't offend her.

She scoffed and for a moment I thought I had, but I quickly saw it as mock offense and relaxed.

"Excuse me, but I am a great daughter," she huffed, crossing her arms. "I get good grades, I obey my parents' rules and I am liked by everyone around me." _Except Jane_. "Regardless of that fact, I'll have you know that I am not a "goodie-goodie". I am just an exceptional, classy young lady."

I rolled my eyes. "Uh huh." If she was going to be my mate, that would change fast.

"Miss Cullen, Miss Brandon, is there something you'd like to share with the class?" the teacher asked, lifting an eyebrow at the two of us. We both blinked in surprise and glanced at each other before smiling and shaking our heads. "Then may I suggest you keep your voices down? Class still has a good ten minutes before it ends."

We mumbled a "yes" and class went on. I hardly paid attention, feeling the excitement bubble up inside of me at the fact that I was now one step closer to getting closer to my mate. I didn't bother keeping my smile gone and I was fairly certain that Alice was smiling too.

At this rate, things were already starting to look better for me.

**A/N: I'd say that things are moving along rather nicely in this story, wouldn't you? I am thankful that most (if not all) of you are actually being patient with me in writing this since it's taking a while and since they haven't gotten together yet. I know that some people like seeing Bella and Alice get together fast, but you should know how I do things by now and know that typically that won't happen (unless there is a good reason). **

**So yeah. Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate it and Happy Holidays to those who do not. I am going to be taking a week and a half break from writing to just sit back and enjoy the holidays as best as I can. Don't worry, I'll be back soon enough with more chapters. I probably won't do the next Blood Solstice bonus chapter for a while (I posted the first one, which is in James' point of view), but it hasn't gotten that good of a reception quite yet, so I'll wait. For now, my focus is this story.**

**I appreciate all of you for your comments. But remember, while some of you might like this better than Blood Solstice, they will always be equal to me. Besides, Blood Solstice was my first and is in a different universe, so cut it some slack, peeps.**

**Until next time. No elf mangling now.**


	13. Understanding Alice

**Disclaimer: I don't take any credit for Twilight or any Twilight characters. I only claim my own ideas and my own characters. Huzzah.**

**Understanding Alice**

The rest of the school day had gone by fast, thankfully. I didn't bother paying much attention to what happened since the only thing on my mind was the fact that I now possessed Alice's cell phone number, which I was beyond happy about. Jasper was obviously able to sense my emotions and gave me a curious look when we rode home, but I mouthed a "later" and went back to being in my thoughts. I couldn't wait to call Alice.

I wondered if that was how teenage girls felt when they gave their phone number to the "cute guys" that they had crushes on. It felt like it since I'd seen it in a few movies. Luckily I knew that unlike those girls, I was no fool and Alice wasn't a dumb male, so it wouldn't end up going horribly wrong for us. Plus she was my mate, which made things a bit easier.

It was a bit odd to think about. I knew that she was my mate, but she didn't know that. So how the hell was I going to explain this to her when the time came? Talk about awkward moments.

Soon enough the day had passed by and I found myself getting anxious. I couldn't help but think to myself if I was supposed to be the one to call or if Alice was. Were this one of those movies, the male would have to call. Only problem was neither of us was a guy! Thank God for that.

Some of my siblings, namely Emmett, had teased me saying that there was always a male in a relationship regardless of the genders. I had a sneaking suspicion that he had been taking a jab at me and saying that _I_ was the "male". The very thought disgusted me and I punched him in the chest for even insinuating such a disturbing thought. Still, _one_ of us would have to call.

It was currently Friday afternoon. I had thought I was alone until a voice proved me otherwise.

"So you gave her your cell number, eh?" Riley asked. I turned and saw him standing near the opposite end of the couch with a curious expression on his face.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Riley, I did. How'd you find out? I haven't told anybody."

Esme was at work with Carlisle, Jasper, Victoria, Rosalie and Emmett had all gone hunting and Jane was up in her room, listening to her rock music. I had decided to just kick back on the couch and flip through the various TV channels we had to see if I could find something interesting. I had decided on the Nature Channel, which I liked.

Riley plopped down a few inches away from me, chuckling. "I caught a glimpse of you eyeing a slip of paper with what I guessed to be her phone number on it. You were looking at it like it was a gift from God himself, so I had assumed that you and your mate exchanged numbers."

"How very perceptive of you," I mused, narrowing my eyes. "You have a knack for picking up on things almost as fast as Jasper and Rosalie do."

My dark haired brother smiled and held his hands up in surrender.

"Don't shoot me, I was merely curious," he said.

I sighed. "It's only a matter of time before the whole house finds out about it. I have a feeling Jane is going to give me crap about giving her my number. It's not like I gave her the house phone number or anything, so I really hope she doesn't get too upset."

"Jane will come around to it eventually," Riley told me, placing his hand on my shoulder.

"I hope so. I'd hate to have one of my siblings against my mate," I muttered.

Riley squeezed my shoulder. "Like I said, don't worry. You know how Jane is. She's very protective of you, Bella. I'd imagine that she has been since the two of you first started bonding and I doubt that will ever change. She idolizes you, Bella. She looks up to you, Rosalie and Esme as role models and she aspires to be like the three of you."

I lifted an eyebrow. "Is that so? She's more like Rosalie than she is me or Esme."

He pulled his hand away and laughed. "That is true, I'll admit. I think Rosalie has been poisoning her with all of her tips on mate controlling and being stuck up. I swear to you I stumbled onto a makeup session between the two at one point. Can you imagine that; Jane wearing _makeup_ like _Rosalie_? The thought scared me stiff."

I giggled as the image of Jane and Rosalie looking and dressing alike popped into my head.

"I don't know, I think that she'd look pretty hot with the right stuff," I shrugged. "Then again, I'm pretty sure that Rose's sense of style is more…ostentatious and flaunting then what someone like Jane would be used to wearing. You're no Emmett either, which is another flaw in her teaching Jane how to dress and act. You and Jasper are more refined than he is."

Riley nodded and smiled. "It's true, our brother Emmett may not be the cleanest minded person we know, but I think we don't give the man enough credit when it comes to what lies deep inside. He wears the face of a clown, but he's a lot smarter and much more serious on the inside. I've seen it before, however brief it was."

"I wouldn't doubt that," I agreed, leaning into the couch.

"You're similar," Riley mused, giving me a sideways glance.

I furrowed my brow. "Are you calling me a perverted clown?"

His smile broadened. "No, I don't mean it like that. I mean that you wear a different face when you're around people, but there's something deeper than that." His smile slowly faded and his eyes became serious and placid. "You put on a strong front, Bella, but you suffer much more than you're willing to let anyone else see. I've noticed it from time to time."

"I don't know—"

"You don't have to try and cover it up," he whispered. "You know that I'm right. You try to act strong for the rest of the family. That's why you keep things to yourself, you act rude at times and you force us to be pushy to get information out of you. You want us to believe that you are strong when the reality is that you're much more vulnerable and frightened than we think."

I stared at him for a moment, my lips twitching. "Why are you telling me this, Riley?"

"To show you that I know what's really going on," he replied gently. "Or at the very least, I have an idea of what's going on. I'm no empath, but I am good at reading expressions. You're troubled by a lot of different things; your struggle with your control, your feelings of inferiority, your pain from the past…your thirst for revenge."

I chewed on my bottom lip. Were I a human, it would probably have been torn from the amount of pressure my teeth were putting on it. I twitched slightly as I stared my brother down, uncertain of how I should feel about him picking all of this up. He was right. There was no sense in me denying the fact that Riley had it all pegged. Damn it.

"How the hell did you figure all of this out?" I asked in a low hiss. I wasn't upset with him, no, I loved him dearly. I just didn't like the idea that someone had saw through the façade that I'd been using for so many years. But then, was it right to use that façade to begin with? I guess it wasn't since it was technically living a lie, but what else could I do?

I couldn't afford to be weak, though. What if _he_ saw that? He'd use it against me.

God I feel paranoid about all this.

"I've noticed bits and pieces of it over the years," Riley admitted. "I kept quiet because I didn't want to upset you and I wanted to see if it would go away. There were times when I grew worried about your mental health, but then you'd usually get better. Still, it never really went away, so I decided that I'd talk to you about it at some point in time."

"This is the time you chose, I take it," I muttered.

He nodded. "Now's as good a time as any. No one else is around. Jane will be upstairs for several hours listening to her music and reading her books and I know that the others will likely be gone for a few hours themselves. I persuaded Jasper to get Rosalie, Emmett and Victoria into a wrestling mood, which should preoccupy them for a good while."

"You really do like planning these things out in advance, don't you?" I asked.

"What can I say, my knack for planning things came with me from my human life," he shrugged.

I snorted. "Weren't you a soldier, though?"

"I was, yes," he replied. "I'm surprised you remembered that. I think I only brought it up once and that was in passing a few years back. Not that it bothers me. I was never a good soldier. I was downright terrified of fighting in a war and feared being killed. Funny how that fear ended up becoming my best friend since it landed me in this family, don't you think?"

"I suppose so." I ran a hand through my hair.

"You don't have to worry, Bella. I'm not going to lecture you," Riley informed me; turning so that he was facing me fully. "I just wanted to talk to you about all of this and see where your head is at, that's it. I'm concerned about you, sister."

"I appreciate your concern, but…" My voice trailed off and I lowered my head.

"I hit a sore spot, didn't I?" Riley asked. "I'm sorry. I was merely trying to get my point across."

"It's not that Riley," I said, shaking my head. I took in an unneeded breath. "I've always felt like the weak link in this family, even though I put on a brave face and try to act differently. It rarely ever works, but I do everything I can to not let the others see me for what I really am. I guess I did a crappier job at hiding it than I thought."

"I think that everyone knows," Riley admitted. "At the very least, they have an idea. Carlisle and Esme both know, but they haven't said anything because I don't think they know how. That and I'm assuming that they don't want to get into your personal space the way that we do." He paused to chuckle softly, but then he went back to being serious.

"It does get a bit overwhelming when you guys try to get in my space," I murmured, narrowing my eyes at him. I couldn't blame him as much as I did some of the others, particularly Rosalie who seemed to make my business her business. It all came back to how protective my siblings were of me, especially for Rosalie since she was the oldest.

Riley rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "My apologies, we don't mean to be overly nosy with your business. You don't ever say anything, so I think it worries the others. And then there's Rosalie, who has to know everything because she's the oldest sister and it's her duty to "protect the rest of us idiots" as she puts it."

"Do you think you could ask them to tone down their nosiness?" I asked.

"Only if you stop holding everything inside," Riley replied. "C'mon sis, you don't have to be afraid of keeping what you really feel from us. We're your family; it's our job to be there for you when you need support, just like how you've always been there for us whenever we needed it."

"I…" I bit my lip and considered it. "Alright, deal. I'll talk more, I promise."

"Thank you," Riley said. "We don't have to do this now if you don't want to, Bella. And it's not like we have to discuss this all at one time, either. I just want you to know that I don't want to push you into anything you don't want, it's only if you're comfortable with it."

"I'd rather do it another time," I murmured, glancing downwards. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the small piece of paper with Alice's phone number on it. I hadn't realized how nice her handwriting was compared to most humans. It wasn't perfect, but it looked much more elegant than what most humans used.

Riley laughed quietly. "I understand; you have other things to attend to."

"I wouldn't mind talking later, Riley," I informed, looking into his eyes. "I know that I might be rude sometimes towards you and the others and I really don't mean to. I appreciate that you're concerned about me and that you want me to open up more to help. I guess old habits die hard. I promise that I will do what I can to open up more to you."

"Thank you, Bella." Riley leaned in to kiss my forehead. "That's all I ask for."

I smiled thankfully at him and kissed his cheek. "Thanks for the talk, Riley."

"Any time, sis," he replied. "Now, if you would be so kind as to pass the remote…"

I chuckled and handed him the remote as I stood up. Once I'd done that, I hurriedly made my way upstairs to my room, gently closing the door all the way. I plopped down on my bed and stared down at the number of Alice's cell phone. I bit my lip and pondered what we would even talk about when one of us called the other. I knew so little about her, so maybe asking questions about various things that I could use would be good.

Humans had a name for that. What was it called? Twenty questions? Yeah, that was it.

I began mentally creating twenty questions to ask Alice about. There were so many. Her hobbies would be one thing, the kind of music she liked, the type of weather she liked most…I could probably ask about her favorite food too. I didn't eat, but I knew she did, so that would be important to know for later on. Movies, games, things she disliked…there was a lot.

I quickly realized that there was beyond twenty things that I wanted to know about Alice. I wanted to know as much about her as I could. There was no way I could learn it all in one simple phone conversation unless she were a vampire as well.

Oh. Maybe slipping in a question about her take on vampires would be wise. Not necessarily "hey Alice, do you like vampires" but something along the lines of "do you like fantasy" or a question similar. I prayed to God that if she did like it that she would like vampires. If she said that she liked _werewolves_ more…I think I'd cry. Or the closest thing to crying I could do.

The seconds ticked by and I began to grow impatient. One of the few vices about being a vampire was the fact that we were not the most patient of creatures. Esme and Carlisle had trained themselves to become patient and were much more at peace, but me? I hated waiting when I knew that something important was going to happen.

_Damn it, should I call her or wait until she calls me?_ I asked myself, running my free hand through my hair. Would it be rude to call her right now? Was she waiting for me to call? I had no way of knowing and it was driving me insane with questions and impatience.

Would it look bad for me to call her?

Fuck it. I'm calling.

I hastily pulled my cell phone out from my left pocket and flipped it open. After checking to see if I had any missed messages, I typed in the number on the slip of paper and hoped for the best. I slowly lifted the phone to my ear and listened to the ringing noise as the number went through, telling myself that calling her now wasn't a bad idea and that everything would be fine.

Three rings passed and I got nervous. I was about to give up when the phone clicked and I heard the sweetest voice I'd ever listened to in my existence answer it on the other line.

"_Hello, you've reached Alice Brandon, how may I help you?"_ she asked. For a split second I felt a little upset that I'd reached her answering machine, but the giggle that followed made me realize that it was the real her and she knew exactly who was calling.

"Uh…" My stupid mouth moved before I could think of something to say. "Hello?"

There was a pause on the other end for about three seconds.

"_Hello Bella,"_ Alice greeted merrily. _"It's nice to hear from you."_

I mentally smacked myself. "Hey Alice," I replied. "Is this a bad time for me to call?"

"_Not at all,"_ she giggled. _"I was just getting ready to call you, actually. I wasn't sure who was supposed to call who, to be honest. I'm glad you called when you did, though. It saved me from having to sound like a total dork over the phone."_

_Her a dork? Yeah, __**that'll**__ be the day._ "So what's up?" I asked. That was a typical human greeting that I'd picked up on in the past. It was something that people said to ask how another was doing, which I found odd. How was asking what was up supposed to mean the same as "how are you doing" exactly? They made it sound like they wanted to know what was up. Humans.

She laughed. _"I'm doing fine. I'm just sitting around without much to do. Some of the girls at school asked me to go shopping with them, but I had chores to take care of. Ugh. I hate chores."_

My lips twitched. Yet another human thing that none of us had to deal with. There was never a mess in the house because Esme and Carlisle kept it all orderly. If something was broken, then the person who broke it cleaned it up, but that only took a few seconds. I personally found human chores to be mildly entertaining, especially some of the chores they ended up with.

Speaking of chores, I wondered. "What'd you have to do?" I inquired.

"_I had to wash the dishes, take out the stinking trash, feed my parents' dog and cats, clean up the bathroom and start the laundry,"_ Alice groaned. _"Plus my sister asked me to do a few things for her since she's out gallivanting around with her friends, so there was that too."_

"That sounds…not very fun at all," I whispered, feeling a little bad for her.

Alice sighed. _"It stinks. But I have to do it otherwise I'll be grounded and I won't have a cell phone to call anyone with. My parents are strict, what can I say? What about you? Do your parents make you and your siblings do lots of chores? What're they like?"_

"Carlisle and Esme are the greatest parents anyone could ask for," I answered truthfully. "Not only that, but they're probably two of the greatest people on the face of the earth. They're incredibly kind, loving and sweet. They're both open minded, they support our decisions, they're always there to help us when we need it and they love us equally. They're wonderful."

"_They sound amazing,"_ Alice whispered. _"You're very lucky to have them."_

I nodded to myself. "I'm both lucky and blessed." There was silence on the other end for a minute or so and I started to get worried. "Alice? I didn't offend you, did I?"

"_Huh? Oh no, not at all! Sorry about that, I had to pick some fuzz off of me,"_ she replied. _"My sister's clothes had a lot of extra fuzz and lint and it got all over me when I picked it up. But never mind that, it's taken care of. So, what do you want to talk about, Bella?"_

"Well, uh, I was thinking we could…do twenty questions?" I offered.

"_That sounds like fun!"_ Alice sang happily. _"I'll go first._ _What's your favorite color?"_

"Blue, black and red," I replied. Blue like your eyes, black because it's awesome and red…

"_Nice choices. I like yellow and black myself,"_ Alice giggled.

I frowned. I was just about to ask her what her favorite colors were too. Darn. Oh well.

"What are some of your hobbies?" I inquired. That was more important to know anyways.

"_Nice question! I love to sing, dance and draw,"_ she replied, sounding pleased. _"I also love to shop, too. I'm a total shopaholic_." She laughed_. "What else? I like going on nature hikes, staring up at the stars, listening to music and playing board games, too."_

With a small smile, I decided to mimic her. "Those are really cool. I also like to draw, listen to music and enjoy nature when I'm outside. I like spending time with my family members, playing video games and watching movies, too. I'm open to pretty much anything unless I find it annoying or a waste of time like watching most sports." I smirked. "It's your turn."

"_What's your favorite kind of weather?"_ Alice asked.

I sputtered for a moment before shaking it off. "I like the sun. My family and I love it, actually, which is why my parents take us out on hiking trips whenever it's sunny. We get good enough grades to where the school doesn't seem to mind it much, which is great. We go out, have fun and deal with homework when we return."

"_Jeez. Your parents sound cooler and cooler by the minute,"_ Alice gasped.

"They are indeed," I chuckled. "So tell me, Alice. What's your favorite kind of food?"

She hummed for a moment. _"I like most kinds of foods, really. To be honest, I'm a sucker for Italian food more than anything, especially pizza. I love pizza. I also love sweets. I have a massive sweet tooth and I'm thankful that my metabolism is high; otherwise I'd weigh ten hundred pounds from the amount of sweets I eat. I can't help myself."_

I remembered James mentioning Italian food before. Good. He _had_ been useful for something.

"_My parents tell me that you and your family moved here from the east some time back. Is that true?"_ Alice asked.

I narrowed my eyes at that question. My family and I often changed the guise that we used whenever we moved to a new location. That said, I suppose it made sense that people living in such a small town would find out about our ruse, likely to scoff at it. I was a little cautious; I needed to make sure that I answered this correctly.

"Yes, it's true," I replied. "We moved here a few years ago when Carlisle got a job offer to work here in Forks. He's a medical genius and they needed him here, offering him a lot more pay than most of the doctors that already worked here, so he agreed."

"_I see,"_ she murmured. There was something off about her tone of voice. _"Do you mind telling me where it was that you lived before here?"_

I bit my lip. "Now Alice, it's my turn to ask," I said, trying to make it sound playful.

"_Oh, right. Sorry about that,"_ she giggled. _"Go ahead, ask away Bella."_

"How do you like Forks so far?" I inquired. "I'm pretty certain that this is your first time, yes?"

"_Oh,"_ she sputtered. _"Er, yeah, it is. It's nice here. A bit too wet for my personal liking, but I think I'll get used to it soon enough. I'm like you; I'm more of a sunshine kind of girl. The rain is okay I suppose, and so is the snow. They can both be fun to be around. The people here are alright too, though not everyone is as friendly as I would've liked."_

_You're hanging out with the wrong people_. "I'm sorry to hear that. It can be a bit tedious, but I'm sure you'll come to like it soon enough. You just have to find the right crowd to be around."

"_It's cool. I'm sure I will eventually,"_ Alice remarked. _"My turn again. Tell me a little bit about your family, Bella. I'd love to hear more about them. If that's okay for me to ask, that is I don't want to be too nosy or anything like that."_

"I'm close to them, like I said yesterday," I shrugged. "We spend a lot of time together, whether it's playing games, making bets, wrestling…you name it, we probably end up doing it. We love to have fun competitions and we love having a good time together. We're all adopted but we are closer to each other than flesh-and-blood relatives, I'd like to think."

"_Do you mind if I ask where you were born at?"_ Alice inquired.

"Arizona," I replied. I blinked. "Hey! That's not fair; you got two questions in a row."

She giggled mischievously. _"I got you there. Alright, you get two questions next to be fair."_

I ran down a mental list of various questions to ask. I'd lost count of what number we were on and I doubted that she knew either. I liked it better that way, it was less formal and much more relaxing than keeping tab on how many questions we were allowed to ask each other.

"What's your favorite animal?" I asked her. That should be interesting.

"_My favorite animal, huh? Hm."_ She went silent for a moment and I could just imagine her lying on her back, rubbing her chin as she thought about it. It made me smile on the inside. _"I'd have to say that it's a tie between a deer, a cheetah and a swan. All three of them are graceful in their own unique way and they are all full of surprises, especially cheetahs."_

My eyebrows arched in interest at her choices. It was eerie in some ways considering the fact that I had often been likened to a cheetah in the way that I fought and hunted and the fact that my surname at birth was Swan. And deer was my preferred meal due to how easy they were to catch and how much fun it was to chase them. What the hell…?

"That's…interesting, Alice. I like those animals too." I sucked in unneeded air. "Why don't you tell me a bit more about yourself?"

"_Like what?"_

"It doesn't matter," I replied nonchalantly. "Just stuff that people wouldn't normally know about you without asking you first. It doesn't have to be personal, either. I don't want to invade your privacy or anything like that. A few random details, if you will."

Alice giggled. _"I can do that, sure. Where to start…"_ She paused and hummed to herself.

I was both pleased and worried with how this was going. I was pleased that I was learning more about Alice, but worried by a few of the things that she'd said. Her favorite animals were eerily reminiscent to me, which wasn't a bad thing, I suppose. But the way she'd worded her previous responses hadn't gone unnoticed by me and I had a hunch about her.

I'm fairly certain that she was trying to get me to open up more and reveal something relating to our meeting in the past, all those years ago. The tension was starting to kill me regarding whether or not she knew that it was me or if she regarded it as a dream or what. I needed to know. This was my chance to ask her and get the truth out.

I had to think fast. How would I word the question? I couldn't just outright ask her if she had ever been saved before, so that was out of the question. No, I needed something else. Another way to disguise the question to get what I needed. Then an idea came to me. It might be a long shot, but with hope, it would work.

"_Bella, are you there?"_ Alice's worried voice filtered through the speakers of my phone.

"I'm here. I was just thinking of another question to ask. I've got one now."

"_Sweet. Lay it on me,"_ she crooned.

"What's your favorite childhood memory?" I asked quietly, sounding as casual as possible.

There was no answer directly after my question. The silence lasted for a moment. I could hear her breathing on the other end when I listened in, so I knew that she was still there. Seconds ticked by, my nervousness was flaring and I wondered how she would react to my question. At last, three minutes after I'd asked, there was a response.

"_That's an interesting question,"_ Alice answered, almost in a whisper. _"I can name only a few childhood memories that stand out as being good. I think my favorite…well, it's not my favorite per say, but it is the memory that has stayed with me the most."_

If I had a heart, it would be thundering in my chest. "What happened?"

"_I almost died,"_ she replied, even quieter.

Were it not for my super vampire hearing, I probably wouldn't have heard her answer at all, which furthered my anticipation of her reply. I licked my lips and let out a breath. My body was shaking from anticipation and I was thankful for my being a vampire and not a human.

Alice breathed into the phone heavily. _"I don't remember it all that well, to be honest. Everything happened so fast and I was so young that it's hard to remember everything exactly. What I do remember is that I was walking along on the sidewalk by myself and I…I…I almost got hit by a speeding car."_ She paused and gulped. _"I was saved, though."_

My right hand balled into a tight fist. I had to keep my left from doing the same or else I would crush my cell phone and not hear what she said next.

_Say it, say it, say it,_ I repeated to myself.

"_All I remember is…"_ Her voice was cut off by another voice.

"Mary! What in the hell are you doing?"

Alice sputtered. "Mother? Fuck!" she cursed. "I'm s-so sorry Bella. I have…I have to go."

_FUCK! Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck! _

"I…Alice…"

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Goodbye," she whispered. Then she hung up.

Silence. That was what I heard now. Nothing but pure silence as my chance shattered away.

I let my phone drop from my hand as I stared blankly at the wall ahead of me. There were so many emotions pulsating through me that I couldn't even focus on one. I couldn't believe it. I had almost had the answer that I'd wanted, almost.

"FUCK!"

**A/N: She is NOT amused.**

**Poor Bella. Ah well. She'll get her chance eventually. I know, I'm evil, but it makes for a more interesting story that way, wouldn't you say?**

**Not really sure what to add in. No witty comments this time. No stuff to mention. There's the Bellice forum that we are trying to build, there's my friend's story that I am trying to promote because I think it's good and it'll have Bellice as a pairing in it (not the main pairing) and there is the fact that someone is doing OC drawings for me, which is cool. Other than all that good stuff, I don't know what else to say. **

**Oh! Wait, I do. There is a story called Christmas With the Angels by lemonelephant that has Amara cameoing in it (I allowed it). Go check it out, it's long, but fluffy and wonderful. **

**I hope you all had a good Christmas/holidays/New Years, all. **

**Onwards to 2011. Let the Age of Hollowgo begin.**


	14. Stress Relief

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight saga or Twilight characters, I own only my characters and my own ideas. **

**Stress Relief**

To say that I was seething would be a mild understatement. I was fucking pissed! I clenched and unclenched my jaw a good hundred times as I struggled to keep my temper in check. I was barely clinging onto a thread of sanity to keep myself from tearing my room into pieces in my rage, which I knew would be a bad idea altogether.

I needed to get outside. _Now_.

I bolted out of my room and out of the house as fast as I could, whipping past and nearly running over Jane and Riley. I didn't stop and went as far into the woods as possible before I unleashed an enraged roar and began pummeling everything in sight; trees, rocks, the ground, the air, anything that I could to release the pent up rage inside of me. Sometime later I eventually came to a stop and just collapsed on the ground, staring up at the sky in silence.

I felt like a child throwing a temper tantrum. I had probably_ looked_ like one too. Considering how old I was, I probably should have been ashamed of myself, but the underlying fact that I had just had my chance to get the truth out of Alice taken away from me, I felt that it was a worthy enough cause for me to be upset. I mean shit; at least I didn't go on a killing spree.

With my rage subsiding—I'd learned that getting out my anger as fast as possible was a saving grace because it made me feel better afterwards—I just laid on the ground, blank-faced. I wondered what to do with my time now. I would be leaving tomorrow morning for Alaska once again to see Amara and Kate, so there was at least some good news in store for me.

I still had a good half of a day left, though. But what in the hell could I do? I was too frustrated to go back to the house yet. I didn't feel like talking to anyone about anything, all I wanted to do was stay put and let my mind wander. I guess…I would just lay here for a while.

I sighed. "I swear, I feel like fate loves to toy with me."

But then, maybe it was just my luck that I should blame. Or maybe I should just blame Alice's crappy mother for walking in at the wrong moment and ruining our conversation. Her parents were so damn strict; it wouldn't surprise me that they would yell at her for using her own cell phone when she clearly had free time.

Those damned Brandons. They were always causing problems.

I shook away the thoughts and rubbed my temples. Hunting would be a good idea. Having fresh blood pouring down my throat would satiate me for my trip to Denali and it would definitely help calm my nerves a bit. Deciding that was better than lying around and moping, I got to my feet and sniffed the air for a potential meal. It didn't take me long to find one.

It was a mountain lion, surprisingly enough. I hadn't had mountain lion in a few months. I licked my lips and lunged for the overgrown cat, startling it. It crouched down and growled, but I grinned and pounced on top of the beast before sinking my teeth into the back of it's neck, easily piercing through its flesh to get what I wanted from it.

Its delicious blood began guzzling down my throat seconds after and I let out a quiet moan of pleasure as I drank the sweet liquid, growling once the lion had run out. I hated how blood was so damn good yet it ran out too fast with animals. I tossed the carcass aside once I'd finished and wiped my mouth for any spare blood droplets, pleased that there were none. Sometimes it could get rather messy when hunting, though it had more to do with the hunter than anything.

"Damn. Now what?" I asked myself, scowling. I was hoping to at least spend most of the day talking with Alice on the phone, but that plan had been ruined. I needed something to do to keep my mind off of Alice and to pass the time without going home yet.

My nostrils flared as I picked up on several familiar scents. I smiled almost instinctively and turned to see both Victoria and Jasper moving speedily towards me before coming to a complete stop, their eyes shining with delight. That delight became shock and surprise when they looked around at the destruction around them, which I had practically forgotten about.

"What the hell happened here?" Victoria asked. "Did a tornado hit?"

"A tornado named Bella, apparently," Jasper mused, lifting an eyebrow at me.

"What?" I scowled.

"I can feel a bit of tension and anger leaking off of you," Jasper said, crossing his arms. "Did something happen while we were gone?"

Victoria rolled her eyes. "That's a silly question to ask, of course something did."

I pursed my lips. There was no sense in hiding what had happened. I had promised Riley that I would be more open and keeping secrets didn't feel right to me anyways. I'd been a hypocrite about that long enough and now that I needed help, that wouldn't be accepted anymore. No, I would need to be a better person if I wanted this to work in the end.

I took in an unneeded breath of air before I began explaining to them. "I gave Alice my cell number in class the other day and she gave me hers. We were going to call each other today and talk, which I planned on using as a chance to get to know more about her without putting her life in danger by being near me. It started off all well and good, but then…I asked her something that was really important to me and her mother ruined it."

Jasper and Victoria stared at me for a moment. They glanced at each other, then back at me, the startled expressions remaining on their faces.

"That's…that doesn't sound very pleasant," Jasper said at last, shaking his head. "I can understand why you would be upset seeing as how you were having a personal moment with your soon-to-be mate, Bella. I'm sorry it happened, for what it's worth."

I furrowed my brow. "Why are you two looking at me like that?" I inquired.

They shot each other a glance again and I was beginning to get a little annoyed.

"We're not used to you opening up that quickly," Victoria replied. "You're usually more to yourself when it comes to your personal business. I don't mean that as an insult, I'm actually rather happy that you told us. Pissed that your moment was ruined, though. But what do you expect from one of those damned Brandons?"

"I agree completely," I grumbled. "I'm still pissed."

An idea suddenly hit me, then.

"You've both hunted already, right?" I asked.

"We just got finished with it, yes," Jasper replied. "Is there something on your mind?"

I smiled. "I want to spar a little with you both, if you don't mind. I think that it could help get my mind off of my frustrations. Hell, it'd be a good training exercise for me, too. So what do you say, I don't mind either one of you to spar with, or both even."

"Ooh, a sparring match," Victoria crooned. "Count me in. I'm tired of fighting and beating up Jasper all the damn time, so someone new would be appreciated."

Jasper scoffed. "I beg your pardon, but we have an even score, darlin'."

"You and that southern drawl of yours," Victoria snickered, playfully elbowing him in the side as he scowled at her. "Oh relax, Jasper. You should be thankful you don't talk like that all the time or else Emmett, Rose and I would have a hoot teasing the crap out of you." She grinned. "It is a bit cute when it slips from time to time, but still."

"Don't sass me," Jasper sighed. "At any rate, I'll be more than happy to spar with you, Bella."

"Get in line, blondie," Victoria interjected. "I get her first, then you can have her."

I lifted an eyebrow. "Am I a sex object all of a sudden?"

Victoria grinned. "Only if you want to be, Bells."

I crouched down in a defensive position and held my hand out to beckon her to come at me.

"We'll see about that, fire-crotch," I chuckled. "How's about we wait to see just how good you are compared to me before we start getting into that, shall we?"

"This won't last long," she snorted.

"Bring it."

We lunged at each other and clashed, creating a powerful shockwave that rippled throughout the entire area that we were in, scaring away birds and small animals nearby. Our sparring match lasted for several hours with neither one of us bettering the other until the very end when Victoria managed to pin me to the ground with her teeth inches from my throat. She'd won.

I sparred with Jasper next and had to really work to keep up with him. Victoria had been going easy on me, I knew that much, mainly because it served as a warm up round. Jasper knew that too and wasted no time in kicking up our sparring to another level, moving faster, striking harder and not giving me a lot of room to maneuver. Luckily I was still the fastest member of the family and used my speed to my advantage in order to catch him by surprise a few times.

Even so, Jasper still ended up beating me, and in a shorter amount of time. I was a little discouraged that I'd lost twice in a row, but I pushed that aside because I knew that Jasper and Victoria were the best fighters in the family. Their experience was far better than mine was and sparring with them actually helped serve as a training method for me. So we went on.

The remainder of the day that had originally been meant for Alice and I to bond passed by as I fought against and subsequently lost to Victoria and Jasper in each round we had. Each new round they increased their output and I was forced to do the same. It pushed me to limits I didn't even know I had and I surprised myself at how well I managed to do.

We finished at the crack of dawn. I was on the ground, my body aching with several cracks on my chest, arms and face from all the damage I'd taken. I was breathing raggedly as I struggled to keep myself from falling unconscious, which was one of the weirdest feelings I've ever had. We vampires couldn't sleep, no, but we could fall unconscious if our bodies were overworked. It was usually a defense mechanism for our bodies to heal themselves. And right now, I needed it.

"Bella, we should stop," Victoria said. She was standing above me, her eyes jet black. She had stopped playing around and having fun with the sparring and gotten serious when my temper flared at my constant losing. Needless to say, if we did continue, we would likely be trying to kill each other instead of just trying to outmatch the other.

"I agree," Jasper croaked. He was in the same boat, though he was a bit more composed. He'd been using his gift to keep our tempers from flaring upwards too much. He was at his limit right now and I could tell by the strain on his face.

I stood up slowly, trying to keep my body steady. "Okay," I breathed. "No more."

Victoria and I locked eyes. A bit of the vampiric tension remained still, but I pushed it away and bowed to her, conceding that she was my better. I did the same to Jasper before smiling and falling backwards onto the ground, my body having finally reached its limitations. My vision slowly grew hazy and in seconds everything became black as night.

It was weird, being unconscious. I could still sense what was going on around me. I could feel that there were other beings around me, knowing deep down that they were not enemies. My instincts told me that it was safe to remain like this and heal. Were they enemies, my instincts would alert me to this fact and I would awaken immediately.

I felt like I was floating in a void of nothingness, like I was drifting right in the middle of two different realms, both of which were almost within my grasp. Broken images floated in front of my eyes, images of a girl with long brown hair that looked almost like me, but with different colored eyes and different skin. I saw her smiling; that she was happy.

The images changed. I saw her alone, holding her face and crying. Pained tears and blood. That image shattered like glass before my eyes and was replaced by an image of myself. Red eyes full of anger, regret, bitterness and disgust, glaring right back at me. It was a reflection of what I used to be and what I still was deep inside, a reflection of my soul.

Tears of blood flowed down my eyes that soon enveloped my reflection's form, replacing it by a different visage of myself, with golden eyes, a gentle face and a smile. There was hope shining in those eyes and determination that I had never felt before. Not only that, but there was warmth and a look of completion in them as well. It was so surreal.

I watched as my reflection began to morph. The long brunette hair started to shorten and darken as the rest of the body morphed. It shrunk a few inches, the face became different looking, the clothes, the smile, everything. It no longer looked like me when it was done. The girl in front of me flashed a beautiful smile, one of love and adoration. I felt like I knew her….wait…

"_Alice?" _

Her amber colored eyes gleamed. _"Soon, Bella. Soon."_

Her skin cracked. The image faded. And I was abruptly pulled back into reality.

My eyes opened and I found myself staring up at the ceiling of the living room. I blinked several times and sat up, running a hand through my hair. There was no pain and I felt as if I'd just got done feeding when in fact I hadn't. I looked around and noticed that I wasn't alone. Esme was sitting next to me and immediately pulled me into her arms the second I'd sat up.

"Oh Bella!" she sang, relief etched into her voice. "I'm so glad you're alright. When your siblings brought you home, I thought that someone had attacked you!" Her warmth and love flowed into my body and I relaxed into her arms, hugging her back tenderly. We stayed that way for a few minutes before Esme pulled me back and kissed my cheeks.

"Sorry mama," I murmured apologetically. "It got a little carried away…"

"A little? Young lady, you were out cold for four and a half hours!" Esme exclaimed.

I gaped. "That long? Shit, my flight!"

"Relax, sweetheart," Esme cooed. "You have more than enough time."

She smiled and kissed my forehead before setting me back down on the couch and pointing. I turned to see my other siblings all standing around, looking at me. Emmett and Rosalie were sitting on two of the easy chairs, Jane was perched on Riley's lap as the latter sat on a third chair and Victoria and Jasper were standing near the stairway, leaning against the wall.

"We're sorry about what happened last night," Jasper told me, rubbing the back of his neck.

Victoria nodded sheepishly. "It was mostly my fault. I'm so sorry, Bella. I hope you can forgive me, I never meant for it to become that serious."

I noticed that they both looked more ragged than when I'd last seen them. The cracks on their skin that I had caused were healed, yes, but I noticed new ones there as well. They both looked like they'd been roughed up a bit and I immediately zeroed in on my blonde sister who sat with her arms crossed and a very displeased look on her elegant face.

Rosalie turned a glare on the apologetic redhead. "You'd best be thankful her injuries weren't more severe or I would've kicked your ass harder. What the fuck where you two idiots trying to do anyways?" she demanded.

"Rose…?" I furrowed my brow and looked between them. "What did I miss?"

"Rosalie smacked them around a bit," Emmett crooned, trying his hardest to hold in his laughter and appearing to be on the brink of losing it. "Funniest thing I've seen all week, I gotta say."

Jasper and Victoria both growled at him and Rosalie smacked him on the back of the head. He pouted at her and rubbed the back of his head, but chose to remain silent. I sighed. I knew Rosalie was protective of me, but she didn't have to go and beat on the two of them. If anything, I brought it on myself for wanting to spar in the first place.

"Rosalie, you should apologize to them," I said, standing up.

Rosalie frowned. "I'll do no such thing—"

"You will do such a thing," I interjected, putting my hands on my hips. "Because you love me and you love them both. And despite the fact that I appreciate how protective of me you are, it wasn't their fault for what happened. Not entirely, at least." They both shot me a look and I couldn't help grinning. "I wanted to spar with them to pass the time, so we sparred."

"That doesn't give them the right to pummel you until you can't move," she huffed.

I shrugged innocently. "Things got out of hand. We're vampires, Rose. It happens."

"Fine!" she huffed again. She turned her head toward Victoria and Jasper. "I'm sorry for losing my cool and beating you two up. I realize that I overreacted. I also realize that you both accepted my punishment for hurting Bella, so I know that you both felt guilty for what happened. And I know that if it had been a real fight, my ass would've been demolished. So thanks and sorry."

"You stink at apologizing," Victoria commented. "But we accept it regardless."

Jasper gave a wry smile. "This time at least, we do. Who's to say about the next time?"

"Oh spare me," Rosalie rolled her eyes. She turned her head back to face me, her silky blonde hair whipping in the air and nearly into Emmett's face. "_You_ had best not do something stupid like that again or it'll be your ass that I kick, understand?" She narrowed her eyes and pointed a finger at me to emphasize her point, but I knew her far too well.

"Rosalie, the day you ever hurt me is the day that Hell freezes over," I pointed out. "You are as whipped to me in a non-romantic way as Emmett is whipped to you in a romantic way, and don't either of you try to deny the fact because we all know otherwise."

Rosalie glared at me and Emmett hung his head, knowing that I spoke the truth. Everyone else in the house including Esme burst into a fit of laughter. Rosalie crossed her arms petulantly, not willing to admit to the fact, but I could see the small smile cracking on her face.

I stopped when I realized that I had a flight to catch. "I should get going."

"_We_ should get going," Jane piped. "You forget that Riley and I are going with you?"

"Oh. Right, I forgot that you were going with me, sorry." I shrugged. "So are you two ready to get going to the airport?" I blinked and realized that _I_ wasn't ready. "Crap, I should go and get ready myself. Damn it, I haven't even packed yet…"

Rosalie stood up and smirked as she pecked my cheek. "That, my dear Bella, is where you are wrong, because I took the liberty of packing a few things for you; a spare change of clothes, your precious music, your cell phone and a few other essentials just in case."

"What would I do without you Rose?" I asked, shaking my head in relief. "Wait, don't answer."

She snorted. "I think we both know that you'd go crazy without me around to help. But enough about why I'm amazing, go on and get going to the airport." She pressed her lips to mine for a brief second, then hugged me. "Give Tanya and the others my regards, will you? We really will have to plan an occasion where we can all get together. It's always fun."

I rolled my eyes when she pulled away. "Rose, you do realize that going away with Emmett to have sex for twelve hours isn't really a good excuse for not going, right? I wouldn't be surprised if Kate zapped you for your crappy excuses."

"I think it's a good excuse," Emmett chuckled. "You guys could all learn from our example. We have this awesome list of different positions to try out and it's totally awesome. Man, the stories I could tell from our experiences…"

"We don't need to hear that!" Victoria hissed.

"Why not? It's better than your boring sex life!" Emmett guffawed.

Jasper narrowed his eyes. "I'm sorry, what was that?" he asked, quietly growling.

Emmett shrugged innocently. "It's the truth and you know it. C'mon Jazz, how many houses have you and Vicky destroyed when you were getting it on? Rose and I are on the top at seven houses total, not to mention all the craters we've created. I bet you anything we could've done a much better job at making the Grand Canyon."

"So what if you destroyed more stuff during sex?" Victoria asked. "_You_ don't have the ability to channel your emotions when you're in the act, unless my Jasper. That makes the pleasure one hundred times better than anything _you_ could do, you overgrown ape."

"Oh yeah, well—"

"Children, please!" Esme interjected. "I don't really wish to know about your sex lives and I'm certain that your siblings don't want to hear about them either. If you're going to argue, do so outside where I don't have to listen to it, okay? Either way, Victoria is right, Emmett, causing unneeded destruction of my homes does not equal better sex."

He pouted and Rosalie patted him on the head. "Our sex is awesome, Em. Remember—"

"Agh! Enough sex talk! Jane, Riley, let's get the hell out of here!" I shouted.

Jane nodded curtly. "Fine by me. I'll go grab our stuff."

She hopped off of Riley's lap and blurred up the stairs, reappearing a few seconds later with two decent sized suitcases, one in each hand. She handed me the one in her left and I took it, smiling politely at her for getting it for me. The three of us quickly said our goodbyes to our family members before their "sex talk" got any worse, then bolted out the house.

Riley went to grab his car, a rather nice, older car that Rosalie enjoyed working on in her spare time, and drove it out. Jane and I each got in after throwing our luggage in the trunk and then Riley drove off to the airport. I wasn't worried anymore since with the way my family and I drove we'd be there in minutes. I just hoped that this whole trip would help me out.

"It's good we got out of there when we did," Riley chuckled. "I don't think I want to know what sorts of things that Rosalie and Emmett do during their private moments."

"Me neither," I groaned, rubbing my temples. "How can they be so casual about it? Sex is supposed to be a beautiful, wonderful thing in which two lovers become one being, not some competition to see how good it can be."

Jane and Riley looked at each other, then at me, then returned to facing forward.

"Bella, you sound like someone born in the 19th century," Jane commented.

I frowned. "That's because I was, Jane. So were the two of you. What's your point?"

"Old fashioned thinking isn't really around much nowadays," Riley informed me. "Most humans don't think like that and the ones that do are usually older or raised in strict households. In today's world, love making can be done at random and isn't always between lovers. In fact, there are cases where it's performed simply for pleasure or because it can be."

"Haven't you and Rose done it before?" Jane inquired. "You're not lovers."

"That's…different," I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck. "That wasn't sex as much as it was us…helping each other out to get rid of unneeded needs." Jane turned around and arched an eyebrow as an amused smirk formed on her face. Riley was smirking too, though he was trying to hold his smirk in. I bit my lip. "What? Give me a break, that was a long time ago. We haven't had any sexual stuff happen between us since then, sheesh."

"I bet you can't wait to get in bed with Alice," Jane snorted. "Of course, from what Rose told me you've got zero knowledge on sex." She paused and sneered. "I think it'd be fucking hilarious to see you struggle with knowing what to do with her, actually."

I glared at her. "Shut up, Jane. I know more than you think."

"Oh? Then what spots—"

Riley coughed. "Jane, leave our sister alone. She's going through a hard time right now and I don't think your jesting is doing her much good. Besides, for all we know, she could be more knowledgeable than the rest of us give her credit for. We'll never know."

I crossed my arms and huffed silently while Jane giggled. I thought about making some jab at their private life, but I decided to hold my tongue. There was no sense in being immature about it…right now, anyways. Maybe once we were in Denali I'd get her back. I sat in silence with my eyes closed, thinking about Alice. She consumed my thoughts as of late, but I was glad for it.

Thinking about Alice gave me something to strive towards. To be a better person, to become a stronger vampire and to make sure that when we got together, I would be able to be by her side without being tempted by her blood and protect her from harm. There was also the fact that she would need to be turned at some point. I couldn't very well be her mate if she aged and died from old age or something of that nature. I'd be heartbroken.

The image that I saw of Alice when I had been unconscious had been her as a vampire, or at the very least what my mind believed would be her. It made sense. She was even more beautiful than she already was, with golden amber eyes and a warm smile. Her hair had been shorter, funnily enough, so I wondered if that was my conscience's way of telling me something. Oh well.

I wondered what my Alaskan cousins had in store for me when I got there. I knew Amara and Kate decently well enough to know that they were both full of surprises and that they were both far from being shy when it came to their love life. They were both flirty by nature, since Kate had openly flirted with me before Amara came along.

I didn't know the tall redhead as well as I knew Kate. And even then, I didn't know Kate all that well aside from the fact that Carlisle and Esme had been friends of her sister's. I wouldn't mind getting to know more about them. It would be nice to have some more vampire friends. That would be a secondary goal of mine on this trip, the primary being getting advice.

"We're here," Riley announced, bringing me out of my thinking process.

"C'mon, we still got a good while before our flight leaves," Jane stated.

I nodded and got out, grabbing onto my suitcase as Riley grabbed onto his and Jane's. I could tell that Jane was mildly displeased by this, not because Riley was being a gentleman but because it would look bad if she carried the suitcase while Riley didn't. She hated that stereotype, but because we wanted to appear as normal as possible, she dealt with it.

We made our way into the airport, blowing past the check in and security with ease. Being able to charm the pants—not literally, thank God—off of just about every human proved to be an asset for our family and I'll admit, I'd gotten pretty darn good at it. Several male employers and even a few non-employers offered to help me with my "heavy" suitcase, but I brushed them off as politely as I could muster. It did get annoying after a while, but I kept myself in check.

Of course Jane teased me about it while we walked to find our boarding zone.

"See any cute guys, Bella? I'm sure they'd come running if you pretended to fall," she giggled, clearly enjoying herself. I rolled my eyes and thought about smacking her in the back of the head Rosalie style to shut her up.

"Jane…" Riley sighed. He shook his head. "Here I used to think that the women were always the mature ones in a relationship. Yet surprisingly enough, that is far from being true."

I snickered. "You and Jasper have that in common as well."

"Don't remind me," he grumbled.

Jane huffed. "I am not that immature, thank you. Victoria, yes, me, no. Don't you dare say otherwise mister, or else!"

"Or else what?" Riley asked, cocking his head to the side. "You wouldn't be threatening the man that you love with your whole heart, now would you? That's not very nice at all, Jane. I am no Emmett and you are no Rosalie, so there's no reason for that."

"Guys, cut it out," I laughed. People started standing and shuffling onto the plane. It was time.

"Whatever," Jane grumbled. Riley patted her shoulder as the three of us walked onto the plane and situated ourselves in first class seats.

I pulled out my cell phone from my pocket and was surprised to see that I had a text message that I had not seen before. Curiously, I opened the text and saw that it was from Alice. She'd sent it last night at some point in time, likely when I was unconscious. It was only three words long, but it brought an endearing smile to my face and warmed my dead heart.

_Be safe Bella._

**A/N: D'aw, how sweet of her. Don't you agree?**

**Some of you may be confused by what you read earlier when Bella was unconscious. So I shall explain that.**

**What you saw above was the equivalent of a vampire dreaming. Because they cannot sleep in full, they don't have full dreams, but instead they see images. Sometimes the images that they see move, like a moving picture book, if you will. Not all vampires experience it the same way, though. Sometimes they see more vibrant images, other times they see only one image and that's it. It all depends on the vampire and the life they've lived. I'd always intended for my vampires to recover health through entering their trance like state, an idea that I got when I read The Inheritance Series (for those that know it). I plan on using it from here on out.**

**Another thing, the tears of blood is supposed to be a metaphorical thing. One of those "the author has to explain it or else you'd never know" type stuff. It is essentially the blood from all the humans that Bella killed over the years. She cries the tears out and that gives way to the newer Bella with golden eyes. I thought it was cool. I may go in depth with that in the future, but for now I decided to let ya'll know. And yes, that means my vampires do cry. Just blood instead of actual tears.**

**That ends yet another installment of Broken Aurora. The next chapter will be a bit humorous because it involves Amara and Kate. You never know what to expect when Amara's involved other than her usual potty mouth. :P This version of Amara is slightly different than the one that was seen in Blood Solstice. It's nothing major, mind you, just a few minor changes in her history and personality. She's not with Jasper, after all. ;)**

**Random note, the dreaming/trance healing aspects are things that I want to put in my original novel (if I ever get around to writing it). This was a test to see how it came out.**

**Until next time.**


	15. First Lesson

**Disclaimer: I take no claim for Twilight or Twilight characters, they belong to Meyer. I only claim my own characters and ideas. I feel like I've said this before...**

**First Lesson**

It was ironic how I was once again stuck in a position that I detested; a damn airplane. For once, I wasn't about to let the usual irritations get the best of me. I had other things on my mind and being bothered by the snoring coming from a few rows down and the stenches that permeated the air wasn't one of them. Another good thing, I had two of my siblings with me, too.

"I'm bored!" Jane whined.

Then again…

I was sitting near the window, Jane next to me in the middle and Riley closest to the isle. Several female flight attendants had already stopped by—more times than necessary because of Riley's attractiveness, which was obvious by their girlish giggling and cooing. One of them had even attempted to flirt with Riley, but he kindly brushed her off, making sure to kiss Jane so that they would see he was taken by someone already. That disheartened them quite a bit.

"Jane, for the fifteenth time, we still have another two hours before we get there," Riley sighed.

She crossed her arms and huffed indignantly. "I know, I know, but I can't help it. I don't have the same amount of patience that you do, Riley. I can't wait for long before I start getting bored and need something to do. That's why I read and listen to music so much, it helps keep me entertained with something I enjoy doing."

"Then why not read a book now?" I suggested. "What's stopping you?"

"I left my book in my suitcase," she replied, hanging her head.

"Nice going," Riley chuckled.

"We were in a rush to pack!" she exclaimed.

I rolled my eyes at her petulance and leaned in the seat. In truth, I was practically in the same boat as she was because my patience was beginning to wear thin too. Out of everyone in my family I would say that I was the third least patient. Jane was after and then lastly was Rosalie who had zero patience when it came to just about everything. We oftentimes teased her for it even when we weren't in any position to do so.

I bit my lip and started thinking about things I could do to occupy my attention. Since there were two hours left before we'd land in Denali and time for vampires went by slower, it'd be more like four hours, which meant that it wasn't looking good for either Jane or I. Riley, on the other hand, seemed perfectly content with watching the in flight movie with his spare time.

The movie they were showing was some romantic comedy. I forgot the name because I hadn't been paying attention, but either way, I didn't like it. I couldn't see how Riley could be so patient when it came to crap like that. But then, strangely enough, most of the males in our family had more patience than the females. The one exception for the males was Emmett and the one exception from the females was Esme, whose patience rivaled Carlisle's.

I was not Esme, however.

"You starting to feel it too, Bella?" Jane asked, giving me a knowing look. There was just no hiding from this girl, cripes.

I nodded my head, a bit shamefaced. "Unfortunately, yes. I'm trying, but I can't think of something that will keep me preoccupied that long. Rose packed my music, but I didn't remember to grab it from my suitcase until it was too late. Maybe we should start carrying purses or something, that way we can at least keep our things with us."

Jane cringed. "You're joking, right? Do you really expect me to waltz around with one of those stupid things wrapped around my arm like I'm some self-righteous diva? Hell no. I'd rather be bored out of my mind than have to carry one of those ridiculous things. I get why Rosalie has one and I can understand it for Esme, but for me? I'll pass."

"She's allergic to anything that's too girly," Riley snickered.

I snorted. "Yeah, right, that's why she has that pink dress hidden in her closet and why she has her collection of Barbie dolls under her bed."

Jane looked like she would be tomato red if it were possible. Riley covered his mouth to hold in his laughter as her expression changed from sheer embarrassment into a glare sent at me for revealing one of her "big secrets". Jane did not like girly things and she hated it whenever she was associated with something girly. The funny thing was that she was a lot girlier than she let on, but only I was aware of this fact.

Okay, so now it was both Riley _and_ I.

"Damn it, Bella, stop doing that," she complained.

"Sorry Janie, I couldn't help myself," I giggled. She glared at me again and turned away. "Aw, now don't be like that with me. It's not that big of a deal anyways, Jane. It's not like you have a stash of underwear with cartoon character designs on them like Emmett does."

She turned and arched an eyebrow. "Tell me more."

I smirked. "I don't think so. You have to ask Rosalie for that kind of information."

"What? Oh, come on! You stink!" Jane huffed. "Riley, make her tell me."

He held his hands up. "I'm not getting involved, sorry."

I grinned. "Alright, alright, I'll tell you…but only if you promise to never say that I was the one that you learned all this from, deal?"

She nodded and smiled excitedly and I couldn't help giggling a little at how evil I was being. Hey, at least I found something to do for the next two hours to keep myself entertained. It was either this or the idea that popped into my head that involved Jane and I making a competition of stealing as many items as we could from the other passengers. We would've returned them, though; it would've just been to see how much we could get.

Jane was smiling wickedly by the time we'd landed. I'd given her a load of rather nasty information about our other siblings. I didn't do it for free, however, because she was forced to tell me things about her in return. We'd tried to get Riley in on the fun, but he kindly refused and focused solely on watching the movie. I wasn't sure if he was being honest about it, but from the facial expressions he wore, he really did just watch the movie.

"We're here at least," Jane breathed, very happy. "Thank God. This place stinks. I think I'll take three showers once we reach Tanya's place to wash all of this airplane stink off of me. I doubt that they will want to smell it longer than necessary."

Riley laughed bemusedly. "It's not that bad, Jane. We've faced worse scents in the cafeteria on the days that they serve spinach."

"He's right," I agreed. "Though in my personal opinion they both stink equally."

We exited the plane together, Riley in front, then myself and Jane. I thought it was adorable that Jane was almost as protective of me as Rosalie was. I was fiercely protective of her too, and Riley for that matter. Once we were off the plane we grabbed our luggage and made our way out of the airport. Lucky for us, Kate and Amara were at the airport waiting for us.

Kate was standing near the exit with her arms crossed, waving us over once we'd spotted her.

"Hello there, cousins," Kate agreed, smiling. The tall, beautiful blonde strutted over to us and hugged us each and kissed us on the cheek. She smiled the broadest at me and stroked my cheek in an affectionate manner. "It's nice to see you again, Belly-Button. Just like déjà-vu, huh?"

I blinked and lifted an eyebrow at her. "I'm sorry, did…did you just call me Belly-Button?"

Kate chuckled. "Yeah, Amara and I came up with nicknames for the three of you since you would be coming to stay with us for a few days. It's just for fun, don't worry. I thought it was rather cute, too. Who knows, maybe your siblings could use it for themselves."

Jane's wicked grin returned. "Rose, Tori and I will have a kick with that."

"Oh joy…" I groaned. "Tell me you gave Jane an embarrassing nickname, too?"

Kate laughed melodiously and shot a smile at the slightly scared Jane. "But of course we gave our dear cousin Jane a suitable nickname! It wouldn't be right if we didn't. Midge is such a befitting moniker for her, don't you agree Ama?"

The tall redhead appeared shortly after and wrapped her arms around Kate, kissing her.

"I do believe it is, my love," she chuckled.

"Midge, huh?" I mused. "_That_ could be fun."

Jane clenched her jaw tightly in embarrassment while Riley merely shook his head, smiling.

"We gonna stand around all day or are we gonna get to the house?" Amara asked.

We all nodded in agreement and walked with the two tall girls at a human speed to where they had parked their car. Once we'd thrown the luggage in the trunk and gotten inside, Kate and Amara both flashed their teeth in a smile as Kate revved the car up and stepped on the gas. We sped out of the parking lot faster than any of the humans could.

About an hour later we arrived at their mansion sized house. I stared out the window, looking out at the familiar snowy terrain and thinking back to when I'd been here not too long ago, hunting down that worthless bastard. I shook the thought off when we drove into their garage and Kate stopped the car, grinning ear to ear.

"My baby knows how to ride alright," she crooned.

Amara scoffed. "I am not your "baby" Kate. And if I recall correctly, _I'm_ the one who's usually on top in those situations. Not that you don't do well when you're in my place, that is."

"I didn't mean you, red," she said, rolling her eyes. "Anyways, please ignore my sexy-yet-arrogant mate's comment. We are here. I suspect that you will each wish to shower away the stinks lingering on your bodies from the ride over and of course, you may. Belly-Button, once you've finished showering and saying hello, come meet Ama and I in our rooms."

I scowled as I exited their car. "Do I not get a say in my nickname?"

"Nope," Amara replied, planting a kiss on my forehead. "You don't."

I groaned and glared at Jane when she giggled. She giggled harder and hid behind Riley as we five made our way inside of the Denali's home. Kate and Amara kissed each other ravenously the moment we got inside and I couldn't help but gawk at the display for a moment. I watched the way they kissed and tried to make a mental note of it, but then…

"Enjoying the show, Bella?" came an amused voice. Thankful that I couldn't blush, I turned to see Tanya standing in front of me, smirking. "It is quite the show, don't you think? They have a bad habit of getting a little too…intimate at inappropriate times, much like Emmett and Rosalie do, though at least Kate and Amara have a little more intelligent about it. Usually.

The two girls broke apart and beamed proudly at us. Riley coughed and turned away, Jane bit her lip and glanced down at the floor and I secretly wished for the show to continue. I blanched and wondered if having such thoughts was a good thing or not. But then, there wasn't a problem in me watching something like this, especially since Alice and I were not together yet.

"Yuck, what's that smell?" Irina's voice as she waltzed down the stairs. "It stinks!"

"That is the smell of our cousins after their flight," Kate snickered.

I groaned. "I know, we stink, I get it. Tanya, can I use your shower please?"

"Of course, dear cousin," she chuckled, giving me a tender hug. "Riley, Jane, you two can share a shower with each other when she finishes. Does that sound alright with you?"

They nodded. "Thank you, Tanya," Riley said. "We're looking forward to catching up."

I let them talk as I sped up the stairs with my suitcase in tote. I already knew the layout of their house, so I knew where the bathroom and towels were already. Once I was in their incredibly gorgeous—but still not as gorgeous as ours—bathroom, I set the suitcase down and disrobed, dropping my stinky clothes to the floor. I kicked them near the door and went to my suitcase to pull out a fresh pair of clothes, hoping that Rose hadn't packed anything obscene for me to wear.

Knowing her, I wouldn't hold my breath.

Much to my surprise I was able to find something that was decent to wear and pulled that out before I shut my suitcase and moved it aside. I didn't waste any time getting into the shower and turning on the hot water. I closed my eyes for a moment and waited for the water to heat up, enjoying the odd sensation that the warmth had on my cool body. It was so strange and foreign, yet it was a welcome sensation. Plus, I loved water.

I cleaned myself as much as possible, got out, dried off briefly and dressed before I took my belongings and walked downstairs. Irina appeared, gave me a hug and took my smelly clothes from my arms to throw them in the wash. I chuckled and watched on as Riley and Jane blurred up the stairs right past me to take their shower.

"No sex in the shower!" Irina hollered.

"Be nice, Irina," Garrett playfully chided. He smiled kindly at me as he entered the room, Laurent, Carmen and Eleazar following behind him. They all smiled at me and I returned the smile politely and happily. "Hey Bella, good to see you again."

"Bella!" Carmen sang, pulling me into a tender hug. "Cómo estás mi bonita amiga?" She kissed both my cheeks and I giggled. Carmen was always the most affectionate out of the Denalis. She was pretty much a younger, Spanish version of Esme in many ways. Aside from the history with the Volturi and the previous human diet and violent past, that is.

"Hello all," I greeted once Carmen and I let go of each other. "It's good to see everybody again."

"What's this about you having girl problems that we've heard about?" Garrett asked.

"Por qué, Bella? You're an intelligent young woman," Eleazar commented. "You should be able to do well without any trouble at all. Not that there is something wrong with you experiencing trouble, mi amiga. We all have relationship trouble at some point in time in our lives."

"It's not that easy, El," I admitted, rubbing the back of my neck. "It's…complicated."

"Oh Belly-Button!" Amara called, standing on top of the stairs. "Come along, we have a lot to talk about and a lot to cram into that spacious head of yours for the next two days."

"Belly-Button?" Irina asked, arching an eyebrow.

I sighed. "Your sisters have given me my own nickname, for whatever reason."

"Ah, that doesn't surprise me," Laurent chuckled. "They do enjoy doing that. I suppose that it's a better nickname than something insulting. And you know that they mean it in an endearing way rather than a mocking way."

"I know, I don't doubt that fact," I shrugged.

"I think Belly-Button is a cute nickname," Carmen giggled. "In my opinion it's sweet like Irina's nickname Ree-Ree or Gare-Bear or Carmie. I think they're all wonderful nicknames."

"Damn it, Carmen, don't say that out loud!" Irina hissed. "Bella's is only mildly embarrassing, but those ones are twice as embarrassing!" Garrett pinched the bridge of his nose and muttered something under his breath, obviously agreeing with his mate.

My lips twitched. "Wow. Those are your nicknames? Okay, Belly-Button sounds a lot sweeter and much less annoying than I originally thought." Irina glared at me and I snickered, unable to keep my laughter in at the humorous nickname she'd been given. "And since Jane's nickname is even worse than both of those, I think I can accept mine."

"What's _her _nickname?" Irina asked.

"Sorry, I'd love to tell you, but your sisters are expecting me and we all know how impatient they are," I laughed, speeding up the stairs before Irina or anyone else could get a word in. I stopped at Kate and Amara's door for a few seconds before allowing myself inside. I probably could've just walked in without waiting, but it was a habit of mine.

They were both sitting on their bed, cross-legged and waiting for me.

"It took you long enough," Kate snorted. She motioned to a chair a few feet away. "Go on and have a seat, my dear and we can begin going over this dilemma that you are suffering over. And don't worry; our doors are like yours, so no one will hear us through them. This will be completely private between the three of us, I promise."

I sighed. "Thanks. I wasn't sure what to expect."

"Well we _were_ going to give you an up close version of what to do with another woman and how to incorporate that with talking to your future mate, but Tanya said not to," Amara huffed, crossing her arms. "Apparently she thinks that it wouldn't be appropriate for us to do so."

"I think she's right, Ama," Kate snickered. "Bella isn't anywhere near ready for that yet."

"You do realize I'm still in the room, right?" I asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"Yes, yes," Kate said, waving me off playfully. "Now then, let us get down to business. You didn't come all the way up here just to say hello again, we know this. So why don't you start by explaining everything in full about this girl and your reactions with her."

I took in an unnecessary breath and re-positioned myself in the seat.

"Alright, well…"

I told them everything, including the fact that Alice was the same girl whose life I'd saved all those years ago. I told them about her scent, my control problems, her odd reactions when we talked, her eyes, the phone number exchanging, everything. I told them everything that I could in hopes that they would be able to help me out with this.

Once I'd finished I sat in silence, watching as the two girls absorbed the information I'd given them and wondered what they planned on doing. In all honesty I knew they'd be giving me advice, but that was about it. I didn't know how much advice or how well it would work if and when I got the chance to utilize it with Alice. I hoped it'd be good.

"Interesting," Kate mused, cocking her head to the size quizzically at me. "I never would have thought that you'd fall for a human, Bella. I mean, I'm glad that you've found your mate, but the fact that she's a human makes this a bit more difficult. I've been talking with Tanya and Laurent a bit about vampire/human relationships, just for references."

Amara grinned. "It should make this much more entertaining."

I scowled. "I didn't come here to entertain you, cousin. I came to get your help."

"Easy, Belly-Button, I was playing," Amara chuckled.

"Can you truly help me?" I asked.

Kate reached out and grasped my shoulder. "Of course we can, Bella. And we will. We may be sex-maniacs, but that doesn't mean we aren't useful. We'll help you out because you are our friend and cousin and because it's the right thing to do. We'll do everything we can to give you a needed boost in making this girl swoon for you, trust me."

"The thing is, I hope you're willing to get a little out of your comfort zone. Some of what we need to go over with you will be a bit more…physical," Amara informed me.

"Er…what do you mean?" I inquired.

Kate and Amara turned to each other and smirked, a glint in their eyes. I gulped and wondered what horrors they had planned for me when they meant physic…wait a minute…my brain smacked me and I realized what they meant by that. Again, I was glad that I could not blush, because if I were able to, I'd be red as a tomato right now.

I bit my lip. "You don't mean…"

They both laughed. "Silly Bella, we don't mean that kind of physical attention," Amara crooned.

"No, no, no," Kate said, chuckling. "Kissing, yes, but nothing too extreme."

"I know how to kiss, though," I protested. I wasn't the most knowledgeable when it came to intimacy, but I sure as hell knew how to perform a simple kiss for crying out loud.

Kate rolled her eyes. "Bella, you can't just kiss her the way you kiss your family members. That would never work if you wanted to show her that she means the world to you! Have you seen those movies where the actors fake kiss each other? That would be a good comparison between a real kiss and a family kiss. There's a huge difference, trust me."

Amara nodded in agreement. "There are a lot of different types of kisses, too. We won't have to over all of them, but there are a few that you'll need under your belt. It's mostly how much of the emotion you pour into it that makes it what it is, but some of it has to do with the style, too."

"Um…" I blinked and licked my lips nervously. "Alright, if you say so. Is that my first lesson?"

Kate and Amara looked at each other for a moment in silence.

"I think it would be good to do that one first," Kate said, nodding her head. "It's one of the more important details that you'll need to memorize. We'll show you an example ourselves…" She paused and gave Amara a sultry smirk. "And then we will give you the example so that you can better understand how to move your mouth and what to do. If you're uncomfortable, just imagine that you're kissing your future mate and I'm sure it'll be fine."

I felt a little hesitant about the idea of it, but at the same time…I kind of wanted it. Call me a hypocrite for thinking it, but when I'd first met Amara and Kate, I'd wanted in on the action. I mean, who in their right mind could resist the two of them? They were both incredibly sexy, powerful women and they were both total badasses. I'd admitted to myself that I found them attractive and I couldn't help but feel a bit of excitement about what was to come.

Was it wrong to feel that way? Alice and I weren't together, true, but she was still my mate. And if she knew, would she be okay with this given the fact that it was meant to help strengthen our relationship when the time came? I didn't know.

"I'm not sure—"

"Bella, you are not cheating on your mate, you are learning. That is all," Amara told me. "That's another thing you need to stop is this worrywart bullshit that you go through. You need to stop worrying so damn much and be confident about yourself. Hell, what if your mate was here in this room and she thought it was a hot idea? Hm?"

"I don't know, Amara, okay?" I pursed my lips and shook my head, knowing that I needed their help regardless of what I thought. I told myself that it wasn't that big of a deal since it was helping me and nothing more. "I guess…fine, I'll do it. Just promise me that if you ever do meet her that you won't mention this to her. I don't know if she'd be okay with it or not."

They rolled their eyes in unison.

"You can be so ridiculous sometimes, I swear," Kate sighed.

"She needs to hang out with us more often," Amara said, nodding her head.

Kate smirked. "Yeah, I think that would help her a lot."

I let out a growl. "Shut up and start with the lesson, will you?"

"Oh calm down, Belly, we're playing with you," Kate snickered.

"I want to learn everything that I can so that the next time I'm with Alice I won't act like a total moron and I'll be able to show her that I like her and get her closer to me. That way when I tell her what I am, it won't be as difficult and we can begin our relationship."

"We know, Bella," Amara said softly. "We respect that and that's why we want to help. Now sit down and relax so Kate and I can go over kissing with you."

They positioned themselves so that they were facing each other now instead of me. Kate motioned for me to scoot forward, which I did, getting a few inches closer to their bed, but still keeping my distance. I pulled my legs up and hugged them into my body, watching the pair anxiously as I waited for them to begin their "lesson".

Kate turned slightly. "The most basic kiss you need is what Ama and I call the "romance kiss", which is what good kissers use to relay their feelings of affection to the person they love. There's no lust or sexual need behind it, just warmth and love. That's it. This is something you'll need for when you and Alice have your first kiss."

"Let us demonstrate," Amara said.

They moved in close and pressed their lips together. I watched intently as they kissed, ignoring the fact that it was HOT and focusing instead on how they did it. I noticed that it was different from when they'd kissed earlier. There wasn't any lust involved, just passion. They broke apart after two minutes of tender kissing, grinning ear to ear at one another. The love swirling in their amber eyes showed how much they loved each other.

I couldn't help but feel as if I was intruding on them. To see that passion…I realized how much I wanted that with Alice, to feel that and convey that to her. If only.

"There," Kate breathed. "Some fine kissing as ever, my sexy girl."

Amara winked. "Same to you."

"Alright, Bella, now it's your turn," Kate said, clasping her hands together. "Who would you like to show you how to perform the kiss?"

"Er." I furrowed my brow. "Does it matter?"

"I'll do it," Kate said, shrugging. "I don't mind."

Kate reached over and pulled the chair forward so that I was touching the bed. I wasn't nervous so much as I was confused as to what I was supposed to do exactly. I gave Kate a questioning look while she smiled and rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time today.

"What do I do?" I asked, ignoring her eye-rolling.

Amara pinched the bridge of her nose. "Just shut up and let Kate kiss you, Bella."

Kate cupped my cheeks and gave me a gentle look. I sighed and straightened myself up, knowing that this would help. Kate didn't waste any time building up and leaned in to press her lips against mine in a tender manner. I closed my eyes and let her kiss me, imagining that it was Alice's lips against mine. I studied her movements in silence, letting out a quiet moan. I hadn't realized that it'd feel this good to be kissed like this.

After a moment of feeling the rhythm and memorizing the amount of passion, I decided to try it myself and began kissing back. The more I did, the more I felt like I was in a trance. I felt a tingling sensation rippling through my body as the kissing went on. I literally felt like I was kissing Alice and was impressed by how good a kisser Alice was. I copied her movements and poured the amount of passion I felt into my kissing, earning a moan in return.

Right as I was getting into it with Alice, she broke away from me. I huffed and opened my eyes to be brought back into reality. Kate was staring at me with darkened eyes and a surprised look on her face. Amara's eyes were darker also, with a hint of lust in them. They stared at me for a few seconds before Kate blinked and ran her hand through her hair.

"Damn," she breathed. "I'm starting to think you don't need our help with the kissing. That was pretty awesome, Bella. I never expected you to be a good kisser, but I certainly ate my words."

"Was I really that good?" I asked, licking my lips.

"You were," Kate said, nodding. "I started to think that I was kissing Amara. But then I realized that there was no tongue involvement, so I knew otherwise. Either way, nicely done. There are several other kiss types that I want to go over, but I think that if you can memorize them the way you did that first kiss, you'll have this down."

"You'll just have to be careful because you'll be kissing a human," Amara reminded me, her eyes returning to their normal gold color. I was thankful that she clearly didn't mind seeing Kate kiss another woman. In fact, she seemed to enjoy it. "That kinda makes me wonder what kissing a human would be like, though. Not as good, I'd imagine, but then again, I wouldn't know."

"We could always experiment with that," Kate suggested sultrily. "Or…" She turned to me and I could see a small hint of lust there. "Maybe when Bella gets together with her Alice, we could maybe have a bit of fun together, hm?"

"Easy there, girls," I said, chuckling. I felt a bit giddy at knowing that I was a better kisser than I'd originally thought and was pleased with the thought. "Let's take this one step at a time first and help me get together with Alice before we start planning things. Besides, I don't know if she'd be okay with that right off the bat."

"Relax, Belly, it was a joke," Kate snickered. "Amara and I can handle ourselves…later."

"Oh, by the way, you're a pretty damn good kisser yourself, Kate," I told her.

She smirked. "Why thank you, my dear. I appreciate the compliment. Trust me, by the time we're done with you, you'll be taking Alice's breath away with your skills."

"Figuratively speaking," Amara chortled.

The two of them gave each other a lustful look and for a moment I thought they were going to start making out with each other again, but instead they looked back at me with sinister grins that told me that they were far from over with my "training". I just sat there, wondering what was to come next and hoping that Alice was okay right now.

Either way, when this was done, I would be better equipped to handle Alice. I'd know what to do and say instead of being incredibly awkward. That was what I was aiming for.

"Let's start your next lesson, shall we?" Amara asked.

I nodded. "Alright, bring it on. I want to learn as much as I can."

Kate laughed. "Eager, eh? Don't you worry, Belly-Button, your therapy is just starting."

**A/N: Had to bring Bella's nickname back, if only for the Denali girls. It's Amara, after all and who doesn't find Bella's nickname to be adorable? And I found myself laughing when I wrote up Irina, Garrett and Jane's nicknames. It amused me more than it probably should have, but oh well.**

**So yes, the story is moving along nicely, I'd say. Alice will be back very soon, I promise, but for now you must watch Bella learn from the masters on how to flirt and interact with her future mate, which is bound to be humorous in some parts and hot in others. Where it goes from there, nobody knows. No really, I don't know. I'm actually writing without much of an idea of what's going to happen this time, which is odd. It's how I was when I first started Blood Solstice, so I'll likely figure things out as I go.**

**And yeah. That is that. Laters.**

**Speaking of ideas, actually, I have a question. You see, I have a lot of ideas running around my head and they are nagging at me to write them while I already have this story on my platter (not to mention other things). Thing is, I've written a bit and I want to get my stories out there, but I don't want you people (the readers) to expect that I'll be dishing out updates left and right for all these stories. What I'm saying is, if I were to post another story, say the prologue or first chapter, would you expect more or would you be able to wait until I had more time to write for that story? If that makes sense. I was either going to make a poll or ask it, so I went with asking since I can't figure the polls out.**

**Thank you. Please let me know, it's a curiosity of mine.**


	16. Next Lesson

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the Twilight characters, I only own my characters and ideas. Ya hear? MINE. Just so we're clear, ya know? I've been hearing rumors...**

**Next Lesson**

"I'm not really sure that's going to work," I muttered as I faced the two girls, my teachers in this lengthy process. "I've seen human boys try lines like that before and they either got shot down harshly or slapped across the face. Only a few girls ever seemed to like it and they're the ones that my family and I have a vendetta against. What makes you think it'd work with Alice?"

Kate rolled her eyes. "Trust us, Bella. We've been at this longer than you have, we know."

"I doubt she'd slap you," Amara chuckled. "That'd break her hand."

"She doesn't know that, Amara," I pointed out. The idea of Alice actually trying to slap me made me cringe, not only because of the pain it would cause her, but because if she were slapping me, that meant that I had done something wrong. I didn't want that.

"Relax, Belly. All you need to do is flash her that pretty smile of yours and she'll be melting at your feet in no time," Amara reassured me. "In fact, your next lesson, show us that smile. Let's see if you have the same charm factor that your other family members have."

I lifted an eyebrow. "Charm factor? Are we forgetting Emmett is a Cullen?"

They both laughed, the musical sound filling up the room and making me smile.

"I'm sure the big ape has some charm in him," Amara snickered. "He has to. You'd think that someone who's been around Carlisle and Esme for this long would pick some of it up."

I couldn't help but agree. I had seen rare moments where Emmett had shown charm that didn't involve his usual goofy grin and jokes. He had his moments, but they were much rarer than those of his brothers and Carlisle. Carlisle was one of the most charming men on the planet, though he never used his charm to try and manipulate people. Sometimes it was a necessary evil, especially when the reasoning behind it was a good one, but Carlisle still refused to.

Esme was the most charming woman in the family, naturally. I wished I could be as charming and elegant as she was. Rosalie was the second most when she wasn't her icy, bitchy self, though that side of her personality only came out when we were away from home. Behind closed doors she was the loving, tender sister that I loved dearly and would die for, just like the others.

But me? I wasn't sure I had much charm.

"What makes you think I can pull this off?" I asked.

"Just shut up and give us a genuine smile," Kate replied.

I sighed and waited for a few seconds before I smiled at them, a genuine smile. I pretended that Alice was there with them, which made the smile that much more genuine. Amara and Kate looked at me with appraising eyes for a few seconds until turning to look at each other. They leaned in close and spoke quietly enough for only their ears to hear.

"That's good," Kate said at last. "You could dazzle someone without even knowing it."

"Look at yourself in the mirror the next time you do that," Amara suggested. "Study how you smile and the reactions you get when you do it. You might be surprised by what you'll learn if you learn to smile like that more often. It's a very beautiful smile, Bella. You just don't seem to think that you have one, otherwise you'd be using it constantly."

"Alright, I'll do that," I promised them. There was no point in arguing with either of them since they'd argue right back. It'd be a losing effort.

Both girls seemed pleased. "Good. It's about time you stop arguing and start seeing that you really do live up to your name, much better than you think," Kate informed me. "Now, let's do something about that attire of yours."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" I held my hands up. "What's wrong with the way I dress?"

"I like it," Amara shrugged. "Gothic can be sexy and you pull it off quite well."

Kate shot her mate a look and rolled her eyes. "Honestly, I don't have a problem with the gothic fashion style seeing as how my mate here wears it. On the other hand, you wear clothes that are far too thick and cover up too much of your body. You need something sexier to wear, so I'd like to give you some fashion tips that might help."

I groaned. "Now you sound like Rosalie. She's always going on and saying things like "Bella, your sense of style stinks" or "you need to wear lighter clothes, Bella". It's like she thinks she's the fashion guru and that I am in desperate need of her expertise."

"To be honest, your fashion sense _does _stink," Kate chuckled. "You're not alone. Both Jane and Victoria need to learn how to dress better too. Esme and Rosalie both have good taste, though I'd say that Rosalie has the best since we've shopped together on several occasions. And no, you're not the first person to complain about my advice." She shot a look at Amara, who huffed.

"Give me a break, Kate," Amara grumbled. "You know that I hate shopping. I don't understand why half of the women in the world love it so much. It's just running around and spending money on a shitload of clothes, half of which they'll likely never wear. It's nothing more than companies enticing people with "low prices" and "big saves" on crap. That's it."

"You just don't like it because belly baring isn't as popular nowadays," Kate scoffed.

Amara narrowed her eyes. "That's another reason, yes. I can't help if no one understands the beauty of a woman's stomach. We expose our midriffs, yet most ridicule us and call us sluts or whores simply because we love our bodies. There's nothing wrong with that. Society is just stupid and needs to get their asses kicked a few times."

I cocked my head to the side. "You really feel strongly about that, huh Amara?"

"Damn right I do, Belly-Button," Amara grunted. "People have always given me crap about the way I dress in public. I don't see how it's their business. It's my body, not theirs. They say that it's immoral or that it gives people the wrong idea. Fuck their ideas, they don't know me."

Kate wrapped her arm around Amara and tenderly stroked the girl's exposed midriff.

"I for one am glad that you dress this way," Kate cooed. "It's sexy as hell and it shows that you are proud of your wonderful body. Who cares if no one else understands? They can shove their closed minded beliefs up their asses and jump off a cliff for all I care."

Amara smiled and pulled Kate in closer while she continued her movements. The tall redhead rested her head on Kate's shoulder, allowing Kate to rest her head on top in return. It was one of the tenderest moments I'd ever seen between the two of them and again I felt like I was intruding upon their private time with each other.

"Should I leave?" I asked quietly.

"It's okay," Amara murmured. "You're not bothering us."

"This is actually something you could take notes on," Kate mused. "Tenderness goes a long way with the right kind of people. Amara and I may not seem like it, but we'd rather spend our time hugging and kissing than having sex." Her eyes glinted as she smirked. "Most of the time."

I glanced down at what Kate was doing and gave her a curious look. "Is that something you do with Amara all the time?" I asked, pointing.

She smiled and nodded. "Yes, it is. It's like how most humans enjoy getting massages. Unlike human bodies, we can't be ticklish and we don't feel unpleasant sensations when we're touched unless we're fighting. Amara's stomach is sensitive and it's a soothing thing for her when I start to rub it like this. It's like how my neck and shoulders are very sensitive. I'm sure that Alice has somewhere that she likes to be touched, too."

"I should be careful if she's ticklish," I murmured. "I hear they don't like that."

"You could use it to your advantage," Amara chuckled. "Go for the feet or the sides. Those are usually the most ticklish spots on a human's body. It depends, though. She might like being touched there instead. Either way, you should do it when you get the chance."

"Amara, you make it sound like I want to do…unsightly things to her," I pointed out. "I'm not even with the poor girl yet and look at what you're suggesting! Come now, I'm not like the two of you and a good number of my family members. I can hold my sexual desires at bay until I know one hundred percent that she's ready for anything out there like that."

Amara sighed. "You are such an old fashioned stick in the mud, Bella. This is the 21st century."

"So?"

"So wake the fuck up!" Amara replied. "You need to let go of the old morals and views that were likely stuffed down your throat when you were still a human. That shit's gone now. People have sex before they get married, they wear what they want, talk how they want and for God's sake, tickling someone is not a sin."

"I never said that," I huffed. "I know it isn't. And for your information, I am getting used to the modern world's views and I know that things have changed a lot. I was merely stating that the way you described the actions earlier made me think of something different."

Kate snorted. "And what might that have been?"

An image of Alice being tied down, smiling at me as I loomed over her half naked form popped into my head and I pushed it away. I didn't know where in the hell that had come from, but that was the last thing I needed to see when I was in the presence of Kate and Amara.

"Er, nothing," I sputtered. "Let's get back on topic."

"Anyways," Kate drawled out. "Learn what Alice likes. Where she likes to be touched and in what way, whether it's sensual or not. That is a good idea for the future and I will leave it at that since you get embarrassed when it comes to talking sex."

"We haven't even gone over that part yet," Amara teased. "That'll be fun."

I blinked several times, blank-faced. "Um…will I…er…"

"She thinks she's going to watch us have sex," Amara mused, smirking devilishly.

Kate mirrored the smirk. "That could be arranged."

"W-w-w-what?" I stammered, taken aback. "N-no, t-that's not what I…"

They both guffawed at my reaction, clutching their chests for added effect. I glared.

"Very funny," I grumbled sarcastically, shaking my head. I guess I walked into that one, but they didn't have to take so much enjoyment from my embarrassment.

"You're too easy, Belly-Button," Kate laughed. After a moment she calmed herself and leaned in to kiss my cheek. "Relax; you know we both love you. All teasing aside, we won't worry about the sex aspect since that's in the distant future. But should you need some help, feel free to talk with us about it, we'd be more than happy to."

"What's important is that you realize that you have the potential to get Alice to like you and learn more about her without doing anything more than being yourself," Amara said seriously.

"As well as a change in wardrobe and a better demeanor," Kate added. "You don't want Alice to think you're a whiny emo, do you?"

I cringed. "Hell no."

"Then I think it's time we taught you about how to look, act and think sexy," Amara purred.

"That's an excellent idea, Amara," Kate agreed. "That will be later on, however. We still have a handful of different things to go over. And yes, Bella, your fashion sense will indeed be one of those things, but I believe we'll save that for last. Now then…"

"Do we really need to do that?" I asked. "I doubt Alice will care how I dress."

Amara snickered. "I think she has a point, Kate."

"Describe to me what Alice wears," Kate said, crossing her arms.

I groaned again and shook my head. "You're really serious about this whole fashion ordeal, aren't you Kate?"

Kate tapped her chin. "Bella, one of the most important aspects about getting in good with your girl is making sure that you dress in a way that she likes. You don't have to dress like a girly girl, but changing a bit about your style might help entice Alice more and draw her to you easier."

Her words made sense to me and I started to understand more. She wasn't as alike as Rosalie as I'd originally thought since Rosalie just liked looking good.

"Think of it like this," Kate said, grinning at me. "If you saw Alice wearing a belly shirt like Amara, how would you react?"

I imagined Alice in front of me wearing a midriff shirt like Amara and immediately pushed the image away due to just how sexy that would look. Kate and Amara were both grinning when they saw my reaction, so I knew that I'd just proven Kate's point.

"I get what you mean," I murmured embarrassedly.

"No one can resist the power of the belly shirt," Amara crooned.

Kate frowned in disagreement. "If it's a sexy woman, then no, but if we're talking someone that weighs a little too much to be showing off that much skin, then I think that people would cringe at the sight and would go against it. You've seen some of that in today's world, Ama."

"Yeah, not the prettiest sight," Amara agreed. "Loving your body is one thing, but there's a certain point in time where wearing certain types of clothes should be…prevented. But we ain't talking about other people; we're talking about our dear cousin here. Do continue, Kate. I'm rather enjoying Belly-Button's reactions to your advice."

"Gee, thanks Amara," I deadpanned. "I'm _so _glad you're enjoying this."

Kate flashed me a smile. "Aw, don't be that way. We're just helping you out."

"Yes, yes, "help me"," I replied, using air-quotes for added reference. "So tell me, Kate, what is it that you need to know about Alice's wardrobe choice again? From the few times I've seen her at school; I can say that she's very fashionable. I noticed designer brand clothes on her, the shoes, the pants, the jacket…everything she wore was designer brand."

"She has quite the taste, I see," Kate mused.

Amara snorted. "I have better taste than she does. Designer brands are for schmucks."

The blonde girl scowled and shot her mate a glare, indicating the designer brand clothes that she happened to be wearing at the moment. I didn't bother holding back my snickering as Amara realized this and gave Kate an apologetic look, though she didn't bother actually apologizing.

"Well?" Kate huffed. "I'm waiting."

Amara pressed her lips to Kate's. "Sorry Kate, but I won't change my point of view."

"You stink," Kate growled. "I can't believe I'm married to you."

Amara laughed and curled her arms around Kate, kissing Kate's cheek. "Aw, don't be like that my sexy blonde wife, you know I love you even if I don't care about the clothes you wear. In all honesty I'd rather see you naked anyways."

"That could be arranged," Kate whispered huskily. I cleared my throat. "Later, I mean."

"Yes, please hold off on the sex until I'm gone," I grunted. "Wonderful as it might be, we're in the middle of something right now and I would hate to have to get Jane up here to break it up between the two of you so that we could finish. Or I could grab Irina, since her gift is much more obnoxious and much more fun than Jane's is, don't you agree?"

They both cringed and glared at me, but neither argued.

"She'd probably have us watch Garrett do one of his damned strip teases," Kate winced.

Amara stuck her tongue out in disgust. "No thank you."

"Good." I smiled at them. "Can we move on?"

"You know Belly-Button, you're almost as devious as your sisters," Amara smirked at me, clearly impressed and intrigued. "There may be hope for you to pull this off yet."

"Perhaps," Kate added. "But there is still much to cover before you're ready."

I rolled my eyes. Kate was just being dramatic. Then again, I knew that there was some truth to her words regarding what they were going to go over with me. We'd gone over kissing, greetings and flirting so far, though Kate seemed to want to focus in on fashion. I still didn't see why fashion was such a big deal. True, my clothes didn't necessarily draw people in, but that was the whole point of wearing them. I didn't like drawing attention, unlike the two girls in front of me.

I suppose that if it meant furthering my chances with Alice, I'd do it. Alice didn't seem to have a problem with the way I dressed so far, but then, I had yet to really sit down and talk with her without some form of interruption. Maybe she didn't like the way I dressed and merely kept her mouth shut to be polite or maybe she didn't care. I had no way of knowing.

Besides, I didn't fly out here to second guess them. They were trying to help and I had no right to look a gift horse in the mouth. Or whatever the hell that stupid sounding human phrase was. I didn't care if it took me out of my comfort zone, I needed to deal with it and learn from them.

"So what's next on the agenda?" I inquired.

The two girls had been bickering amongst themselves about fashion and whether or not wearing designer clothes was worth it or not. Amara stubbornly refused to agree with Kate's assertion that it did and Kate refused to say that it didn't.

"Let's just agree to disagree and move on," Kate grumbled.

"Fine," Amara huffed.

"C'mon ladies, don't fight," I interjected. "Fashion isn't worth fighting over."

"Hey, who's the therapist here and who's the patient?" Kate asked, narrowing her eyes. "You keep your pretty little mouth shut and we'll do our job. Don't you worry about our side bickering, it happens all the time. Now then…where were we?"

"You were going to give Belly-Button advice on making herself over," Amara replied.

"Oh! Right, yes."

Suffice to say, we spent the remainder of the day and half of the following day to go over my taste in fashion as the two girls threw in various suggestions for clothing that I could wear. It became a heated debate for a brief time period since they both had a different idea of what a good fashion sense was. I tried to settle their debate, but they shushed me and made me stay silent as they threw on various clothes of their own.

Amara believed that having a big taste in fashion wasn't super important and that a few simple changes made to my wardrobe, including more skin showing, was sexy and would be more than necessary to entice Alice, whereas Kate believed that showing a little skin, but wearing better clothes and makeup would be what made Alice melt in front of me.

In the end, I decided to play peace keeper and offered to switch off between the two styles to see what would work and what wouldn't work. They agreed and things got weird, but at least we were able to move along faster than we had been previously. I tried on things I never thought I'd try on in my whole life during that time. Some of them were comfortable, some made me embarrassed despite the fact that I did look hot and some…well, Kate had some odd clothes.

I'm pretty sure she had a leather fetish. I didn't say a word of it, though.

The more clothes I tried on, the more it seemed that neither girl was right, yet at the same time they were both right in what they felt would work for me. It became obvious that mixing the styles together was what worked best and when I pointed this out the two of them agreed and sheepishly apologized to the other for arguing.

"Arguing stinks," Kate murmured, kissing the taller redhead. "We should know better."

"I think we should all go to hunt," Amara suggested. "It might make us feel better."

So the three of us left to go and hunt in the snow, which sounded like a good idea. I took down a bear that happened to be in the right place at the right time while the girls each got their share of other creatures—I didn't see, I was too busy moaning as I drained the bear. Once we'd finished hunting the three of us decided to spend some time with the other Denalis. I wanted to see what Jane and Riley were up to since I hadn't seen them for the entire day.

"It's about damn time you showed up," Jane huffed when I sat down near her. She was on the couch with a game controller in her hands since apparently some of the Denalis, who I had always believed to be more refined save for Amara and Kate, were actually more like us Cullens then I'd ever thought.

I chuckled and pulled my shorter sister over to me, hugging her as she focused her attention on the plasma TV screen a few feet away. She was playing a shooting game with Garrett, Riley and Irina—that shocked me the most—and doing fairly well, though Riley was beating her. I watched as Irina's character was shot in the head and she growled in irritation.

"Motherfucker!" she cursed. "Stop cheating, damn it!"

"Irina, calm down," Tanya chided as she glided into the room. "If you break another controller I'm going to bust your ass."

Irina grumbled under her breath and glared at Jane, who giggled devilishly.

"Poor Ree-Ree, can't catch a break," Jane teased.

"Shut up, Midge," she hissed back.

The two blonde girls glared at each other menacingly and I wondered if I should move out of the way to avoid getting in the crossfire. They didn't do anything and both went back to playing the game with more gusto than before. Irina even managed to kill Jane's character, which got Jane to scowl and Irina to smirk victoriously.

"So if you two lose, you'll make out, right?" Garrett asked, grinning. They rolled their eyes.

Garrett was pretty much the Emmett of the Denalis. Well, he wasn't as crass, as loud or as rude as Emmett tended to be, but he did like to joke around and have a good time. Riley rolled his eyes as he smiled at me before returning to the game. I smiled back, knowing that when it came to video games, we always had to concentrate on what we were doing.

Nerdy vampires, as Rosalie called us. Not like she wasn't one herself.

I pulled my attention away from the game and hugged Jane closer to me as I scanned the room for the rest of the Denali family members. On the second couch sat Carmen, who was watching on excitedly at the game being played and Eleazar, doing something I'd never seen a male do before in my existence; knitting. That astonished me, but it also impressed me.

Laurent was sitting in an easy chair further off reading a book. He was an avid reader much like Jane, but unlike Jane, he preferred classical stories and history related books. Tanya was sitting in their kitchen area on her laptop, looking up Lords knows what. Amara and Kate were sitting in their own private little corner, nuzzling and fondling each other.

My thoughts moved to Alice, who I was beginning to miss dreadfully. I knew that we weren't really friends yet, but I still missed her. I recalled the text she'd sent me before we'd arrived in Denali and wondered if she'd sent me another text. I gently lifted Jane off of my lap and set her down before speeding up the stairs to where I'd put my cell phone.

I turned it on, eager, but not too eager because there was a good chance she might not have texted me again. However, the phone vibrated and I was rewarded with a "one new text message" on the screen. I grinned and pressed it and my spirits soared when I saw that it was indeed from Alice, which made my day even better than it already was.

_Hey Bella! I hope you're enjoying your time in Denali! What's it like up there?_

I laughed quietly and went in to respond.

_It's cold and white, but I'm glad to have the chance to visit family. Thanks for asking._

"Is that from her?" I glanced up to see Kate standing near the doorway.

I smiled and nodded, shutting the phone once the text had been sent. "Yeah, it was. It feels so weird to be in this state. I know that she's my soulmate, but I don't know how to go about getting her close enough for me to tell her that. It's like I'm in limbo and I can go either way. Make one wrong step and I drop into Hell, but make the right one and I get into Heaven."

"An interesting analogy," Kate mused, coming to sit down next to me. "I'm sure that you will get to Heaven in no time, Bella. You just have to have the right mindset and stop thinking so negatively because of past mistakes. Your family believes in you. We believe in you. You need to believe for yourself if you want to be with her."

"You sound like Riley," I chuckled. "But you're right. It's hard to do, but I'll try my best. I have to for my sake and for Alice's sake."

"Then I'm sure you'll do fine," Kate replied.

"Where'd Amara run off to?" I inquired. Usually the two never left each other's side. They were always together save for very rare occasions, but this didn't seem like one of them.

Kate grinned. "Well, I was in the middle of contemplating Amara's belly button with my eyes and my tongue when I noticed that you were gone. I remembered that we still have work to do, so I had to pull myself away. Poor Ama wasn't pleased, so she went out to…finish the job."

I stared at her for a moment, smiling a little. "You have some very odd foreplay ideas, Kate."

"If you think that's weird, go on the internet," Kate said, rolling her eyes. "There are plenty of other weird ideas, I can assure you of that. In all honesty, we do what we want and we don't give a shit what people think. They think it's gross, that's their opinion, not ours. Everyone is weird in their own way; some people are just more comfortable with it."

"That explains your attitudes," I giggled.

She shrugged. "It's true. We all have things that we like. A lot of people get shit for being who they are because other people think it's freaky. No one has the right to diss another person's interest because the person doing the insulting has one that's just as weird, if not weirder. I don't think its right for people to judge another person simply because they find a specific body part or activity to be enticing. Those differences are what make us who we are. That's not a crime."

"People fear what they don't understand," I sighed, leaning back on the bed. "I've seen it in the schools I've gone to and out in the open. People can be really cruel to others for stupid reasons, like if a person has a foot fetish or if they're gay or because they're taller or shorter. It's saddening to see that's how most humans are in this world."

"It is," Kate agreed. "Amara and I had a hard time when we first started being public. But we stopped giving a shit about what other people thought and did our own thing. It's not easy and the jeers can be really hurtful at times, but we have each other and we have our family to back us up at all times, so we make do and go about our lives."

"It's worth it in the end though, isn't it?" I asked.

"Fuck yes," she grinned.

I sat back up and noticed Amara was standing in the doorway with her arms crossed.

"It seems I've missed an interesting conversation," she said, coming to stand near Kate.

"You're irritated with me, huh?" Kate asked, bemused.

The redhead narrowed her eyes. "Stopping in the middle of that? Yes, yes I am. I suppose I can forgive you since we still need to deal with our Belly-Button dilemma first." She shot me a look and smiled at me. "And no, you aren't a problem; I'm just giving you a hard time."

"We can get back to our therapy session if you'd like," Kate joked, smiling at me. "If you want to go back and visit with the others for a while, we won't stop you. It's your choice."

"I think I'd like to continue," I replied. "I can visit later. You said that there were a couple more things that you wanted to go over with me aside from the fashion ordeal?"

"Oh yes, there's much more to go over," she informed me, clearly looking forward to it.

I rolled my eyes. "Then yes, let's finish up whatever we need. I want to be done with your training and then I'll go and visit, if I have the time."

"Sounds good to me," Amara said, wrapping an arm around her mate.

As I stood off the bed so that both girls could sit down in their previous spots, a thought hit me. I turned and went to where I'd set my phone to open it real quick, going in to look at the last text message that Alice had sent me.

"What's wrong, Bella?" Amara asked.

I found it and re-read it several times over. Something didn't seem right.

"Bella?" Kate inquired, sounding slightly worried.

I didn't say anything because I couldn't stop thinking that there was something off. I remembered my last in person conversation with her, at which point I realized the problem.

I'd told her I was going to Alaska. I never said that I'd be in Denali.

**A/N: Ya ha. (Ya ha? What the hell kind of intro is that?)**

**So...yeah. I actually enjoyed doing this chapter because I wanted to add a bit of the other Denalis in. I know, I didn't add much in, but the small portion that I did was amusing. Hell, the whole chapter was amusing to me. I figured that there needed to be more comedy in the story, so I went and added in the humor parts to sort of help it out. Things will become serious soon enough, but there's nothing wrong with some lighthearted fun, right?**

**I would like to make a shout out to Aleinwonderland's story (recently renamed) Goodbye Lullaby. I am pleading with you Rose/Em fans to go and check it out, it's a really good story made by someone very special to me and was written because I kept pestering her to try to write. It's her first story, but I love it (not biased, I swear) and I want to keep pushing it until she realizes that she isn't a bad writer. So please, go read and review it honestly. Give her feedback, show her that she's a good writer. Do it for me, those of you who are Rose/Em fans. And hey, Bella and Alice will be together in this story, so another good reason to check it out.**

**Aside from that, thanks for all the support. Whether you like this more than Blood Solstice, it will never surpass Blood Solstice in my eyes. I love em' both equally. :P**

**Onward!**

**Oh, one more thing, go read lemonelephant's story Moondance. Apparently I helped with that story too? Jeez, when did I became so popular? I feel special. Not THAT kind, fools. Well, maybe just a bit...never mind. Just go check it out.**

**Second to last note, if anyone ever sees any sign of Amara or any of my other OCs and there is no credit given to me, please let me know. Thank you.**

**Last note! I will be doing the second bonus chapter of Blood Solstice. Expect that sometime this coming week!**


	17. Last Lesson

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight and all Twilight characters. I own my characters and my ideas. That hasn't changed, but hey, I'm not complaining. Much.**

**Last Lesson**

"Pay attention!" Amara barked. "I'm not doing this for my health, you know."

The tall redhead and her mate were currently parading around their room, showing me the right way to dance with a woman ala their own style. We'd taken another break after a few more hours of Kate giving me the fashion lecture and then we'd gone over other important details on other things like how to flirt properly—which we'd already gone over, but Kate wanted to make sure that I'd been paying attention and wanted to quiz me.

The dancing topic had come up after they'd asked me about the high school I went to. Kate was eager to help teach me how to "strut my stuff" and show off my mate when we were together. I had tried to tell her that that wasn't necessary, but Kate ignored me and forced Amara to go along with her idea in showing me how to dance, hence what they were doing now.

I gave her a lazy smile and shrugged. "I am paying attention, honestly. I just have a lot on my mind right now, that's all. But please, continue. I'm memorizing everything you both do."

"Oh, stop complaining," Kate chuckled, poking Amara in the stomach. "You know you love having your hands all over me and don't try to deny it, Amara. And besides, we both know that Belly-Button doesn't have the best coordination."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm the fastest in my family, Kate. I have better coordination than everyone else in my family save for Victoria and that's thanks to her gift. Unlike her and you two jokers, I don't have a gift of my own, yet I'm still able to keep on par with you when it comes to skill."

"Not that you could beat us," Amara teased. "Victoria called and told us how she and Jasper kicked your ass around during your last sparring session."

"Yes, they did," I admitted. "But I learned a lot from that. Next time, I won't lose so easily."

Kate cleared her throat. "Hey, less worrying about your fighting and more paying attention to learning how to master dancing with a girl, Bella. You need to know these things in case you or your future mate asks the other to a dance in the future."

I rolled my eyes again. I was learning that from Kate and it was coming in handy.

"I'm watching, sheesh."

"Is that so?" she inquired. "Then show me that you were paying attention."

Amara went and sat down—smiling rather gratefully—and Kate motioned for me to come and dance with her. I found that prospect amusing and stood, placing my hands to hers. I narrowed my eyes warningly to make sure that she didn't shock me for kicks, but her face remained both placid and serious as we began to dance together.

I mimicked everything I'd seen them do and welcomed the distraction from the thoughts that I'd been having for the past few hours regarding Alice. We danced for about twenty five minutes, changing dance styles until Kate was satisfied that I had indeed paid attention. I went to sit back down again when she finished and she seated herself next to Amara, leaning in to her mate.

"Nicely done, Bella," she said, smiling. "You've done amazingly well in memorizing everything that we've thrown at you since yesterday. I'm proud of you. I'm sure that when the time comes you'll be able to use it all to your advantage."

"If you don't trip up first," Amara snickered.

I sighed. "I won't if I can take care of the other problems," I muttered. "I need to do some training sessions with my family to help with my control issues. If I can work on my self-control and use what you've given me, I may just be able to pull this off."

The two girls were silent for a moment, glancing at each other before Amara spoke.

"Control problems, huh?" she asked. "Tell us a little bit about those."

"You've probably heard," I muttered. "When things get too heated, my emotions get the better of me and I forget my surroundings. And that's when the bloodlust shows up. It's so hard for me to keep it in check and I get these urges…I know that we all do, but mine are so damn difficult to keep in check sometimes, I feel like I'll slip without someone there to help."

I clutched the sides of my head. "I don't know what to do. I fight it as best as I could, but the beast inside always seems to win out in the end. I hate it. I hate hurting people that don't deserve to be hurt, even if it's for my survival. That's why I became a vegetarian like Carlisle and Esme, to be a better person like them and to avoid being a monster like…_him_."

"We understand," Amara murmured. She placed a hand on my shoulder in comfort. "I know what you're going through, Bella. I went through the same when I was in the Volturi. I grew to hate what I was and what I was doing, which is why I left. If I hadn't left, I would have never stumbled upon the Denalis and I'd never have found my soulmate."

"I know, Amara. But what can I do?" I asked.

"Keep fighting," she replied. "Don't let the monster win out in your battle. Tell it to fuck off and kick its ass around until you have full control. It won't be easy and it will take a lot of time and a lot of concentration, but you can pull it off. I fed from humans from the first moment that I'd woken up as a vampire and did it for many, many years. Yet here I am now, able to resist the calling of human blood better than I ever imagined."

"She's right, I had to go through it too," Kate added. "It's a struggle. But you're a strong willed woman, Bella. We know you can do it. You're way too damn stubborn to let a little blood stop you from getting what you want, right? Think of it this way. If you had to choose between Alice's life and the blood, which would you choose? Think about that."

An image of Alice with her life at stake popped into my mind, a look of terror on her angelic face as he loomed above her. I blinked and pushed it away, mortified with the idea of her ever being in danger. I couldn't let that happen. _Ever._ I didn't care if I was starving for blood; I refused to allow her to ever be hurt because of my own selfishness.

What kind of mate would I be if I did?

"I would never…I couldn't…" I shook my head furiously. "I would do whatever it took to make sure that she was safe from harm, even if it meant sacrificing my own life. If blood was what got in my way, I'd rather starve than let her get hurt or worse."

"That's good," Amara said. "But I doubt your family would sit by idly when your mate was in danger and you were out fighting for her. They'd stand by you and so would we. That is, if we didn't live so damn far away from you guys. I've been trying to convince Tanya to let us move somewhere else that's nearer to Washington, like Canada somewhere, but she keep saying no."

I gave her a tiny smile."I appreciate that, Amara. I'm sure Tanya has her reasons, though."

Kate scoffed. "Yeah right, she just doesn't want to move because it's "too much trouble". I think that if we get the others to support us, we can convince her otherwise. We'll probably keep the Denali name, but we'll try and move somewhere nearer, like Amara said."

"You don't have to for our sakes," I chuckled. "We can handle ourselves pretty well, I'd say."

"That doesn't mean you won't ever need a hand," Amara pointed out.

"Thanks, but you don't have to worry," I said, waving it off. My thoughts from earlier began nagging me again. I needed a bit of alone time to clear my head, which meant putting their plans on hold. "Hey, is it okay if I go out and get a bit of air?"

"What for?" Kate asked.

Amara patted her shoulder. "Go ahead, we won't be going anywhere."

"Thanks," I whispered as I stood and darted out of their room. I blurred out of their house and out into the snow, running a few yards away into the forest before I stopped. I found a rock to sit on and plopped down on it before I gave myself what I needed; a chance to think.

In reality, there was only one thing that was on my mind bothering me: Alice's last text. I specifically remembered what I'd said to her on Thursday, mentioning that I was going to Alaska to visit my family. But I'd never told her where in Alaska that I was going. Yet she somehow knew that I was in Denali, it was plain as day.

How did she know?

There was definitely something about Alice. She knew more than she was letting on. It was obvious with everything that I'd noticed about her from the first day we'd met at school. Her reactions when we spoke, the look in her eyes, the fact that she had tried to_ kiss_ me that day. I had a strong feeling that she did know. And the phone conversation a few days ago…

"Damn it," I cursed to myself. How the hell was I supposed to get it out of her? I knew, but I couldn't just flat out ask her if she knew. Could I? Was I thinking too hard on all of this? I ran a hand through my hair. Thinking too much was just going to give me a headache. Well, the closest thing to a headache that a vampire could have.

I reached into my pocket and pulled my cell phone out. No new messages. I considered calling Rosalie to ask her if she or one of the others had informed Alice that I was in Denali, but I knew that it'd be pointless to do. Alice wouldn't call; she didn't even know my siblings.

I knew that when I got back, I needed to resolve this. I needed to or else it'd drive me insane.

I remained outside for a little while longer before I decided that I'd had enough thinking time and headed back to the Denali's house. Kate and Amara were waiting for me when I returned to their room, though the position they were in wasn't exactly…meant for me to see.

Amara was on top of Kate, her lips trailing down Kate's chest. They both noticed me and, for a few seconds they just stared. After a moment I coughed awkwardly and exited the room, waiting for the two of them to re-situate themselves before I re-entered. A few seconds later I heard both of them clear their throats and made my way back into their room.

"I apologize, I should've knocked," I said, sitting.

"It happens," Kate grumbled. "A lot."

Amara was grinning. "Now you know what it feels like, hun."

Kate's eyes bulged. "You conniving bitch…"

"You still love me," Amara chuckled. "We can finish off for real once our cousins leave. It'd be rude to do so now since we need to help Bella out, after all."

"Fine," the blonde grumbled.

I giggled. "So, uh, what's the next lesson that you need to go over with me?" I asked. "We've done kissing, flirting, fashion, dancing, hugging, chatting and just about everything else that I could possibly need to know about doing a better job with Alice."

"I think we've actually covered just about everything," Amara mused, glancing at Kate. "What else is there that we could help her out on?"

Kate was silent for a few minutes. "Sex?"

Amara laughed and I groaned. I did _not_ need to know about their sex life.

We decided that I'd completed my "training" and just chatted for the next two hours. It would soon be time for Jane, Riley and I to get ready and leave for Forks. I felt a little bad that I hadn't had much time to visit with the other Denalis, but Kate and Amara assured me that Tanya and the others understood my reasoning and I'd have more than enough time.

Eventually I received a call from Esme telling me to be sure that I was ready. I laughed and reminded her that I was good at not forgetting things, but she, like a typical mother, insisted that she wanted me to be one hundred percent certain. I could tell that she missed her children and I promised I'd give her a big hug when I got home. She told me I'd better.

The time came for us to leave. I bid the Denalis farewell and promised them that we'd come and visit them again sometime in the future. Tanya told me that they would visit us first, especially since she wanted a chance to meet my mate.

"We aren't together yet, Tanya," I pointed out.

She scoffed. "Well hurry up, girl. We can't wait forever. The next time I see you, you had best be fucking this girl or I'll get pissed. I've been waiting too many damned years to see you get yourself a mate. You need to stop waiting around."

I rolled my eyes as Tanya kissed my cheek and went to say goodbye to Jane and Riley. Kate walked up to me, smirking as she usually did.

"Later Belly-Button," Kate said, giving me a tender hug. "Good luck with her. You can do it."

I hugged her back. "Thanks Kate, I owe you and Amara a lot for your help."

Amara walked over and gave me a hug next. "It was our pleasure. Knock her dead." She paused and gave me a small grin when I glared at her. "You know what I mean, you hard-ass. You'll get her in no time, I'm sure of it."

"Thanks Ama."

I turned to the others.

Laurent came up and gave me a light kiss on the forehead. "Be well, Bella. I wish you well in your future endeavors. Oh, and try not to let my wife's…er…inquiries, get the best of you. You know that she only wants the best for you, she's just…"

"Tanya?" I offered.

He chuckled. "Indeed."

Garrett came up to me next and gave me a tight hug. "Bang her good, Bells!" he chuckled heartily, patting my back afterwards. I groaned. He merely smiled and walked off. Irina came to me next, grinning ear to ear.

"Belly-Button," Irina giggled. "That's funny as hell."

Carmen, who was standing next to her, smacked her in the back of the head.

"Be nice, Ree-Ree. Belly-Button is a cute nickname," Carmen said, shaking her head. She came over and hugged me tightly. "Be well, cousin. Give your family my regards."

"Thanks Carmen." I shot Irina a smirk. "Ree-Ree."

"Shut up," Irina grumbled, giving me a hug regardless.

Eleazar was the last to say goodbye to me, doing what Laurent had done. Once they'd finished teasing Jane and Riley and saying their goodbyes, the three of us were driven to the airport by Kate and Amara once again. The two girls made sure to remind me of everything that they'd gone over with me, as if I would forget it any time soon.

Then we were on the plane and off to Forks in no time. Everything passed by in a blur. The plane ride didn't even bother me and Jane was unusually quiet. It was odd. I didn't even feel like I was in reality as we flew back to Forks. All I could think about was Alice.

_I wonder what she's doing right now_, I thought to myself. _I_ _wonder what she would have said if her mother hadn't interrupted her. How she knew about me being in Denali._ There was so much mystery surrounding this girl that it was driving me insane. I couldn't get it out of my head.

Something poked me in the side a few times, jarring me from my thoughts. Jane, naturally.

"So Belly-Button, what're you thinking about?" she asked.

I blinked. "I hope you don't intend to bring that nickname back home with you, Midge."

Jane twitched. "Fair enough."

Riley chuckled. "I don't know, I kind of like your nicknames."

"Quiet Riley," we grunted in unison. Riley merely smiled.

I never answered Jane's question and she didn't bring it up again. I honestly didn't know why she didn't bring it up again, but I was actually quite thankful. We remained silent throughout the rest of the plane ride home. Jane snuggled into Riley, which I thought was cute, but it also made me feel…jealous.

That's when it hit me. That was another thing that had been bugging me this whole time, but I hadn't actually figured it out until now. I had been jealous of Kate and Amara. I was jealous because they had everything that I wished I could have. They had the one thing I was missing, everyone in my family did. They had their forever. I was the only one who didn't.

I had mine staring me in the face, within reach. But reaching out for it was so hard. It was like it was intentionally being difficult for me and I couldn't understand why. What had I done to deserve such a difficult time in finding my eternal happiness? I'd taken lives, sure. I'd made a lot of mistakes that I wasn't proud of. But I could do nothing for them now.

Damn it. I needed to do something about it.

I didn't even hear the plane landing. Jane nudged me to get me moving when I saw that the humans were all standing up, so I did the same and followed them. Once we'd picked our stuff up we made our way to the parking lot where Esme was waiting for us. She greeted us with a kiss on the cheek and a tender hug before ushering us into her car.

"How was your trip, dears?" Esme asked as she turned the car on and drove off.

"It was alright," Riley replied. "Jane and I had quite a bit of fun with our cousins."

"It was like we never left home," Jane said. "Not that we didn't miss you guys like crazy."

Esme nodded understandingly. "What about you, Bella? Did you get some good girl advice from Kate and Amara? Or did they try to corrupt you the way that I assume they would? I can never tell with those two girls, I swear."

"They helped," I replied, staring out the window. I loved Esme and I was elated to see her, but I didn't feel like talking much about it right now. There was only one thing that I wanted to do and that was face Alice and try to get the answers I needed out of her. Somehow.

"Is something wrong?" Esme inquired.

I sighed. "I've been thinking a lot about Alice lately. There's more to her than she's letting on and I know that there is. It's obvious in her actions and in some of the things she's said. Hell, I've been able to notice it through her eyes, too. I just don't know how to go about talking to her to try and unravel this giant dilemma once and for all."

"I could help with that," Jane offered, lifting an eyebrow.

"No, Jane, you are not torturing my mate with your gift," I growled.

She pouted, but Esme cleared her throat. "Young lady, I've told you on many occasions that torturing people with your gift is not okay. Unless it's direly needed or if they've done something to insult our family, then you can do a little. Or if they're snide or rude or piss you off because they make an off remark about the way you baby your children too much and you just want to smack the little idiots around because they aren't the greatest mother in the world…"

All three of us were staring at her in surprise, which she noticed. She cleared her throat again, though this time was a bit more awkward.

"I mean, um, if you'd like, I can give you some advice, sweetheart," she said, trying and failing to cover herself up.

Jane snorted. "Well damn, Esme. You are always full of surprises."

"Let's just pretend I didn't say that…" she whispered nervously.

"Too late," Riley chuckled. "We won't tell on you, though."

"Speak for yourself," Jane snickered. "I'm totally using this to my advantage the next time you try and pull one of those motherly things on me. Thanks for the ammunition, Esme."

Esme muttered something unintelligibly under her breath while the car sounded with our laughter at her humorous mistake. I was laughing like mad at Esme's adorable expression and embarrassment and couldn't help but love the irony of the situation. I was also thankful for the distraction from my thoughts of Alice, though I knew they'd return later.

The tension had dissolved for the rest of the car ride home, which didn't take long. The three of us exited Esme's car once she'd driven up to the house. We entered it while she drove into the garage and we were all greeted by our other siblings.

"Hey, you're back from the ice land!" Emmett boomed, giving us each a bear hug.

Jane rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that's real funny, Em," she deadpanned.

"Well what else am I supposed to say?" he asked, scowling.

"Welcome home?" Riley offered, chuckling. "No matter, it's good to be back."

I went and sat down on the couch, directly next to Victoria and Jasper. Victoria hugged me while Jane and Riley seated themselves, Riley choosing an easy chair and Jane choosing his lap. The others were either sitting down already or, in Carlisle's case, away at work.

"You learn anything new from the sex addicts?" Victoria inquired.

I chuckled. "Quite a bit, actually. I only hope that it works. If not, I'll fly down there and give those two an ass kicking for giving me useless information."

"I would help," Rosalie scoffed.

"I doubt that it will come to that," Esme tsk-ed, shaking her head. "It all comes down to you in the end, Bella. We all have faith in you that you can do it and that's the last time I'm going to tell you this." She crossed her arms and nodded as if to prove her point. I smiled appreciatively at her for her support, but I couldn't resist lifting an eyebrow a moment later.

"So if I came home depressed, you wouldn't hug me and comfort me, then?" I asked.

Esme flinched. "I didn't say that…"

"It sure sounded like you were," I mused, giving her a pout.

"I wasn't!" she replied, embarrassed. "I…" She paused and scowled when she saw my lips curling into the smirk while the others all started laughing. "You stinker! That's twice in one day that one of you has gotten me! Ugh!" She threw her hands into the air and huffed as she stood and dramatically stormed out of the room, which made me burst into laughter.

I knew that Esme had done it on purpose to get me laughing and it made me remember why I loved my mother so damn much. She was the best mother a girl could ask for. Better than that horrid woman that Alice called a mother, that was for sure. The thought of that woman made me growl quietly, thankfully too quiet for anyone to hear.

Unfortunately, thinking about that brought Alice back into my thoughts. Since it was late here now from the drive home, it would only be a matter of time before I was back at Forks High and I would come face to face with my unaware mate. Or maybe I should begin to think that she's a little more aware than she's letting on. There's definitely something afoot about it and my lack of patience was telling me that I needed to get to the bottom of it.

I felt a wave of calm envelop me and didn't bother turning since I knew Jasper was the one behind it, likely sensing my distress and uncertainty. I let the calmness sink in and decided that I needed to stop worrying about it because worrying never did me any good at all. I would confront the issue when the time was right and that was that.

"Who's up for some video games?" I asked.

"I'm in!" Emmett shouted, jumping up to go and choose a game to play. I chuckled at his enthusiasm, but then, it _was_ Emmett, after all.

I spent most of the next few hours playing video games with my siblings. We turned into a competition for money in the end thanks to Jasper and Victoria's recommendation, which only made things even more amusing and competitive. Esme, of course, moderated the whole thing since she didn't want another case of what had happened between myself and Tori and Jazz in the forest to happen again, though we assured her it wouldn't.

The betting part eventually went from betting money to betting other things, like doing everyone else's school homework or taking Esme's cleaning duties—which Esme smirked at—thus adding yet another flair to our competition. By five thirty the next morning, we'd finished our gigantic competition and I had been able to avoid losing. I hadn't won, but I did get a bit of extra cash.

Jane had ended up with Esme's duties for the next month and a half, Rosalie and Emmett had lost the most money from their betting and Riley ended up with the homework. Jasper and Victoria had ended up with the most money out of everyone and were both smirking victoriously at their winnings, much to the others' chagrin. I was lucky to escape without losing a cent.

"Dude, I want a rematch!" Emmett grumbled.

Rosalie nodded, glaring at the two of them. "You bastards totally cheated to win," she growled.

"We did not," Victoria teased, sticking her tongue out. "We won without our gifts."

"It's true," Jasper agreed, grinning at the glares. "What? Why would we need to cheat when you all make such obvious mistakes? It's not necessary at all and you know it. And besides, when's the last time either of us used our gift to cheat?"

"Last Thursday," Riley grunted.

"And the day before that," Jane piped. "And before that…"

I giggled. "Pretty much every single time we have some kind of big event and it looks like you're about to lose, you two pull your gifts out of your asses to even things out, which is totally cheating and don't bother denying it either."

They both looked at me, then at each other before Victoria scowled.

"You stink at being on our side," she grumbled. "Even after we helped you win, too!"

"I knew it!" Rosalie shouted, getting to her feet. "I knew you two were helping her cheat! You jackasses never help _me_ out, so why do you always favor Bella?"

I shrugged. "I'm the favorite?"

Jane snorted. "Yeah right, sure you are."

"You know I am," I teased. "Or were you just snuggling into my lap because you mistakenly thought I was Riley when Riley was directly to your side, hm?"

Jane blanched and hung her head, burying it into her mate's neck as he chuckled and everyone else grumbled or muttered something. I beamed, knowing that I had won that argument and flashed Rosalie my teeth, who merely rolled her eyes.

"Alright children, that's enough betting and fun for one night," Esme said, clasping her hands together with a smile gracing her face. We all groaned because we knew what she was going to say next since it was Monday. "Yes, yes, school stinks, I know. But it's a good experience for all of you to indulge upon and it helps keep our guise up. Besides, Bella needs a chance to go and knock her mate's socks off with her new skills, don't you sweetie?"

I rolled my eyes, but I knew that she was right.

"I'll go get changed," I mumbled, speeding up to my room.

I recalled their tips about fashion and decided to give it a shot today to see what I could do with my look. I threw my current clothes to the ground and opened my closet up before I started thumbing through every shirt I had to find something that was decent looking. Anything that would look "fashionable" as Kate had said. The only problem was that I lacked anything that really looked fashionable. I went for comfort in my attires.

"Damn it," I grumbled, shaking my head. "There's gotta be something…"

After a few minutes of digging, I managed to find some clothes that Rosalie had bought for me some time ago that I had yet to wear. I pulled them out, gave them a brief once over and pulled them on before I double checked to see if they looked right. It was a blue designer shirt mixed in with curve-complimenting jeans and a designer brand jacket. I even changed my shoes for once.

Once I'd done that, I dashed into the bathroom, shut the door and pulled out Rosalie's makeup kit since I figured that makeup would further the appeal. I'd only applied makeup once in my existence, but Kate had showed me how to do it properly, so it was fresh in my mind. I quickly started to apply the eyeliner with one hand while I used the other to comb my hair. If I was going to do this, I was going to do it right.

_I hope that this works,_ I thought to myself as I finished up. I checked my reflection and quickly realized that it actually didn't look half bad. The only problem was that I'd likely get some teasing from my siblings due to my wearing makeup for once, since I'd never done it before.

"Hey Bella, are you read yet?" Rosalie called from downstairs. "We're waiting!"

_She didn't even need to shout_, I grumbled.

With a gulp, I braced myself and opened the bathroom door before I made my way downstairs, thankful that only Rosalie was there. The others had likely either gone ahead or were outside waiting for me to finish up.

"There you are—" Rosalie's words died away when she caught a look at me. "Holy fucking hell are you wearing makeup?"

Thankful that I could not blush, I nodded tersely. "Yes, I am. How do I look?"

Rosalie was speechless for a moment, appraising my appearance in silence. "Damn," she breathed, shaking her head. "Kate must've done a hell of a job with you. I mean damn. If I were a lesbian…" She blinked and ran a hand through her hair. "That human better have good control of her hormones, because I think she might just orgasm when she sees you."

I gaped. "Rosalie!"

"It's true," Rosalie said, nodding her head. "You look sexy."

"I…er, thanks," I mumbled.

"C'mon, let's go. I want to see the look on her face," Rosalie grinned, ushering me outside. "I can't believe that you're actually dressed nicely for once. And shit, you're wearing nice shoes too! I never thought I'd see the day that you would do this, Bella!"

"Don't push it, blondie," I growled quietly. "I'm doing it for Alice."

She snorted. "Yeah, yeah, you'd be surprised how far dressing good will takes you."

I jumped into the back of her car, Emmett's jaw dropping as I did. He didn't get a chance to say anything because Rosalie smirked and drove off before he could. It didn't take long for us to reach the school. My eyes scanned the parking lot until it locked onto the yellow Porsche, which had pulled it a few second after we'd parked. Neither Rose nor Emmett spoke as I jumped out.

My eyes zeroed in on the driver's side as the door opened. Showtime.

**A/N: Showtime indeed. **

**So I would like to point out something said in an anonymous review saying the last two chapters were "irrelevant". You're entitled to your opinions, but if you don't like my stories for whatever the reason, just don't read them. Ignore them. The problem is thus solved on both ends because I don't have to deal with people who say things (and while being anonymous because they don't want me to respond to them for whatever reason) like that and you don't have to deal with whatever you find stupid in my stories. Hey, I don't go gloating about what I've done, but I'd like to think that my stuff is good. And I ain't changing it. Seems like I have to repeat that a lot.**

**Anyways, for the rest of you, you know I love you girls/guys (in a non-creepy way) for your support. And you know you love me despite my love of teasing you consistently. Just so everyone's aware, I don't think there will be smut in this story. The sequel (there's gonna be a sequel?), most likely. Just like with the Solstice Saga. You don't like it, go somewhere else to find a smut story. ****Just sayin'. ;)**

**Anyways, laters.**


	18. Impressions

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any Twilight characters, I only own my own characters and ideas. Hasn't changed, never will.**

**Impressions**

As I walked towards Alice's car, I imagined Kate's voice telling me to "walk the walk". She'd shown me several different techniques to use when walking to attract attention. The only thing was that I had to do the right kind to get the right kind of attention. I could already smell the arousal of several human males that caught sight of me and could hear their whispering.

"Holy shit, is that Bella?" Jane asked, stunned.

"Dude!" Emmett breathed. "I was gonna say, she looks so…so…girly."

The sound of Rosalie smacking him on the back of the head hit my ears next and I smirked.

"She does not look "girly"," Rosalie said. "She has fine tuned her look in order to give her mate a walking orgasm, which I'm sure it will. To be honest, I kind of want to watch and see how little Miss Brandon reacts to the new and improved Bella."

I rolled my eyes at her comment and could just hear the smirk in her voice. But I pushed it away when I watched Alice step out of the car and shut it. I noticed that she wasn't looking as happy as she usually was, but rather, a little rushed. That changed when she turned around and saw me.

Alice's eyes bulged and she froze where she stood. Her heartbeat picked up a notch and I smiled inwardly as I strutted over to her, stopping a few feet away. With wide doe eyes she raked my form as fast as she could, trying to do so without me noticing, which didn't work. Then her crystal blue orbs settled onto my golden ones and she swallowed.

"H-hey Bella," she stammered, the shock plain in her voice.

"Hello there Alice," I replied smoothly. "How are you today?"

She blinked several times. "I…uh…I'm good, thanks. H-how was your weekend?"

"It was good, actually," I replied, leaning casually against her car. The air was filled with a sweet yet musky scent that I knew right away to be Alice's arousal. Oh yeah, I'm good. "I enjoyed spending time with my cousins. I don't get to visit them as much as I'd like since they live so far away, so I always make it count when I visit."

Alice nodded in understanding and gulped again. "I l-like your clothes," she breathed. "Did you go shopping with your family up in Alaska?"

"Nope, I had these, I just never wore them before," I shrugged. "I figured that I would please my sister Rosalie since she bought them and I hadn't worn them before. She gets anal if we don't take her fashion advice since she is the "fashion expert" of the family."

"You're damn right I am," Rosalie scoffed behind me. "Rosalie knows best, like I always say."

"Shut up, Rose," Victoria groaned.

I fought the urge for me to ask them to leave since they were purposefully there to watch my transaction with Alice, instead choosing to ignore them as I flashed Alice a smile. Alice looked utterly dazed at the sight and I silently thanked Kate and Amara for helping me realize what I could do with my looks alone on others.

"How was_ your_ weekend?" I inquired, lifting an eyebrow.

Alice rubbed the back of her neck. "It was good," she replied, sounding a little nervous. "It was pretty boring for most of it, but not as b-bad as it could've been." She seemed to remember something then. "Oh, I'm so sorry about our phone conversation being cut off last week, my mother caught me and apparently she didn't like that I was on the phone instead of working."

"I'm guessing she heard you mention my name," I muttered. "That's probably the reason why she got upset and cut our conversation."

Alice seemed confused. "What do you mean?"

"Your parents aren't very fond of my family," I informed her. "I'm not sure what they've said to you, if anything, but they have shown that they dislike us on several occasions. I wouldn't tell you this if I didn't know it to be true, but I know they don't like us. I only ask that you don't listen to anything they say about us if they do."

Alice looked at me curiously for a moment, her lips twitching. I could tell that she was struggling to keep her eyes away from my body and I found myself swelling with a little pride. She was trying to think and gaze at me at the same time, which I could only imagine being difficult.

"My parents haven't said anything about your family," Alice murmured. "I think they made one off comment about you once saying that you're all very secretive. But I see what you mean. You don't have to worry, Bella. I won't let what they think affect my own opinion about you and your family, I'm not like that." She smiled. "I like you, so don't worry."

I felt giddy at her last remark and smiled even wider. Alice seemed a little less dazed now, but even so, my "Cullen charm" was affecting her in ways I never thought possible. I had to admit, she was fairly cute when she was nervous and the stuttering helped add to the effect.

"Would you like me to walk you to your first class?" I offered.

School was a pain in the ass, but I knew that we both needed to deal with it. Truth be told, I wanted to get her alone and ask her about how she knew I'd been in Denali, but there wasn't time for that. I would have to suffer through the first few classes until lunch time came around, then I would take my chance and ask her. I needed to know.

Alice looked blown away by my request. It took her a moment to nod in response, looking away in utter embarrassment at the state she was in. My nostrils flared from the blush that formed on her cheeks because I could hear the blood pumping in her veins and rushing upwards, but I pushed the feeling aside because I couldn't allow blood to distract me.

"I'd like that a lot," she replied once she—somewhat—regained her composure. "Thank you for asking me, Bella."

"Any time, Alice," I replied, smiling again. "Shall we, then?"

She nodded again and grabbed her things before the two of us walked towards the building. I could feel the many eyes on us as we walked together, including my siblings'. Jane grumbled something under her breath, Emmett laughed and the others all smiled when I turned to glance at them before focusing my attention forward.

Her chocolate flavored scent filled my nostrils. It was so incredibly sweet and addicting, I found myself breathing it in on several occasions—ten or so times—as we walked inside of the school and to her first class. I was thankful that I could smell it without making a sound and without anyone knowing the wiser. A handy perk for being what I was, once again.

We stopped outside of Alice's first class and I noticed the pout that formed on her face.

"I'll see you later," Alice murmured, turning to face me. "At lunch?"

I nodded. "I'd like that. I was actually hoping to get a chance to talk with you at lunch."

Her eyes lit up. "That's great, I'll see you then. Bye Bella."

"Bye Alice," I smiled at her as she sauntered inside of her class.

I let out an unneeded breath of relief at the break from her scent. Even with the perfume she was wearing, her scent was beyond potent and driving me crazy. I wanted to be near her so I could smell that delicious scent, which worried me a bit. I would definitely need to get used to that as well as the blood ordeal before Alice and I could be together permanently.

That was a future goal, hands down.

"You okay, Bella?" I turned, seeing Rosalie standing a few feet away. "You look worried."

I walked over to her and sighed. "Not worried, just reminding myself of what I need to do in order to be prepared for when things become…well, serious. Her scent is incredibly alluring, so I have to be prepared for that as well as her blood. I can't let anything happen to her, Rose."

Rosalie reached out her hand and squeezed my shoulder. "I know, Bella. I know. You won't and I won't either, I promise. Try not to stress too much about her blood and scent, okay? A lot of it has to do with mentality and if you go around thinking about it, it'll continue to be a problem. If you tell yourself that it isn't a problem and you remain confident, it won't be a problem."

I took in a breath. "Yeah, I know. I'm slowly getting into that mindset. It's not something I'm used to doing, but I'm going to because it's necessary."

"That's my girl," Rosalie said, pecking me on the cheek. "C'mon, let's go to our classes. The sooner we get through with the torture, the sooner you can be with your Alice."

I chuckled. "She's not "my Alice" quite yet, Rosalie. We're still in the acquaintance stage."

"Yeah, yeah," Rosalie chuckled with me as we walked on. "She will be soon enough. If you would hurry up and make your damn move on her already."

I rolled my eyes. "You just want to embarrass her for your own amusement."

Rosalie lifted an eyebrow. "Embarrass her? Oh no, I want to embarrass you. The stories I could tell about you to your mate…oh, I can hardly wait for that."

"If you start embarrassing me, I'm going to dish out the same for you, sister dear," I informed her, narrowing my eyes at my blonde sibling. "You forget that I have much more ammunition against you than you against me."

Rosalie narrowed her eyes this time. "And what might this be?"

"I'm not telling," I said, grinning. "But trust me, I know things."

Rosalie scoffed, but she didn't argue or try to find out what I knew. I did know, that was true, I'd learned things from Emmett in the past and from a few of my other siblings. And I was naturally very perceptive and paid close attention to things that went on in the house. My blonde sister was not as well guarded as she thought, but I wouldn't tell her that.

We bid each other farewell at a certain point and I trudged off to my class, silently counting the seconds in my head and hoping for a speedy class. It did, surprisingly. And so did the next two classes for that matter, though there were times that I was forced to pay attention or I had to answer a question that was fairly simple for me.

Then the lunch bell rang and I sped out of my class as fast as I could at a human pace, eager to find Alice and finally have the chance to talk to her. I skipped past the lunch line and instead lingered at a vacant table that was a few tables away from my family table. The others didn't say anything, so I figured that Rosalie had informed them of what was going on.

I waited for a few minutes until my nostrils picked up Alice's scent. She twirled into the cafeteria with more grace than most vampires I'd ever seen and smiled when she saw me. She motioned towards the food line and I nodded in understanding. As much as I hated it, the stink of the cafeteria food would dilute her natural scent, thus making it easier for us to talk. I'd have to remember that for the next time we spoke.

Alice then came trotting over and plopped down directly across from me, earning a few gasps, stares and glares from half of the student body, the latter of which came from her posse of friends that included the infamous Jessica Stanley.

"What the fuck is Brandon doing?" Jessica hissed. "She's sitting with one of the freaks!"

"Maybe she's pretending to be the freak's friend?" one of the girls offered.

Another scoffed. "I wouldn't even for money."

"Just look at the way the freak is dressed! What the hell, is she trying to turn on all the guys just so she can turn them down like she does every year?" a fourth asked.

"I think she looks pretty," Angela Weber, the nicest one, remarked.

"Same here," agreed a redhead who smelled like marijuana pretty much all the time. Katie I think her name was? She was nice too, like Angela. I wondered why they hung out with such awful company when they were clearly superior to the others.

Rosalie growled from behind me. "If that skank says one more bad thing about Bella…"

"We'll teach them a lesson later," Emmett replied gruffly. "Can't do it now, Rose."

"I can," Jane grunted. "Easily."

"Jane, no," Riley whispered.

I tuned out the rest of their words when Alice looked like she was about to speak.

"So what'd you want to talk about?" Alice asked, picking up a fork and digging into her food.

I didn't want to jump into asking her right off the bat. I knew that much. I had to warm up to the topic beforehand and then jump in with it. I racked my brain for a good conversation topic that would allow me to slowly work my way into asking what I wanted to know. I couldn't think of much, so I decided to just wing it.

"What did you do this weekend?" I inquired, clasping my hands together. The cafeteria food stench was doing wonders for keeping Alice's sweet chocolate scent at bay, which made me feel much more comfortable. Rosalie's words, along with those of Kate and Amara, echoed in the back of my mind about control and I knew that I would need to work on that.

Alice's lips pursed before she replied. "I didn't do much, to be honest. James came over to visit me on Saturday evening, though he was acting oddly. I noticed him outside for hours just sitting in his car. At first I wasn't sure it was him since the car looked a bit different, but when he got out I was surprised by how ragged he looked. It was all very strange."

I scowled at the mentioning of James and mentally reminded myself that I'd told him to stay away from Alice. I guess he'd either forgotten or he didn't take me seriously despite the ass whooping I'd given him in order to get it through his skull. But then, perhaps that was why he was acting nervous; he was worried that I'd be around.

"What'd he want?" I asked, trying to keep my voice neutral. I noticed an odd glint in Alice's eyes and I swore that her lips twitched slightly, but her face remained placid.

"To talk," she replied, shrugging nonchalantly. "He asked if he could spend some time with me, but I told him that I had other things to do. I didn't really; I just didn't feel like talking with him after what happened that day at school. He apologized, but he didn't seem sincere."

I snorted quietly. _That's because he's a creepy jerk._

She continued on. "Aside from dealing with him, I honestly was pretty bored. I finished all my chores after my mother snapped at me and had to hide my cell phone from her. Oh, I did get in a fight with my sister over some…things and got a bruise from her, which is nothing new."

"Your sister _bruised_ you?" I asked, my eyes widening.

Alice gave a light chuckle. "I bruised her too." She seemed endeared by the look of horror that was on my face from her response. "It's okay, Bella. We've always fought with each other when we were growing up. Having strict parents didn't help it either since we used to fight over trying to be the better daughter, but we gave that up some time ago. We do love each other, I swear."

"It doesn't sound like it," I muttered, shaking my head. Alice giggled and ate some of her food. I tried not to crinkle my nose in disgust, so I started playing with a strand of hair. I noticed that Alice was still rather drawn in by my attire, which made me smile a bit.

"Have you ever gotten into a fight with your siblings before?" Alice asked, taking a chug of whatever beverage she had next to her.

I thought back to my method of working off stress and how badly I'd been injured during that and shook my head, giving her a tiny smile. My siblings and I got into arguments, sure, but we never got into full blown fights over anything.

"Nope, I've never fought with them before," I replied. I heard a few snickers and a snort at my comment, but chose to ignore them. It was the truth, for the most part.

Alice looked utterly shocked. "Never? You've never gotten into a tussle with them over anything or argued with at all or thrown a punch at them?"

"I never said I haven't argued with them," I giggled. "I have. Our arguments never last very long because we have a very tight connection with each other. As for fights, no, never a full-blown "I'm gonna beat the crap out of you" fight. We wrestle on occasion to pass the time, but aside from that there haven't been any physical altercations."

"Wow," Alice breathed. "I wish I had that."

I chuckled again. "It's nice, it really is. But tell me, you must've done something fun."

"I did go shopping," she mused, her eyes lighting up. "I love shopping. I think I've mentioned this to you before, but if I haven't, it's my biggest hobby aside from art and dress making. My sister hates it, so I usually go on my won, but I enjoy it whenever I get the time to go."

I nodded. Rosalie loved to shop too. I could use that to my advantage later on.

"My sister loves to shop," I informed Alice, pointing behind me. "Rosalie is a shopaholic."

Rosalie snorted. "If only the rest of you could understand why I love it so."

"Shopping stinks," Jane grunted.

"_You_ stink," Rosalie growled back.

"She does, huh?" Alice seemed excited about that. "Tell me a little about them."

I lifted an eyebrow. "My siblings?"

Alice nodded. "If that's okay with you, I mean. I'd like to get to know them better. Most of the other students talk about your family in a negative light and I don't think that's true. I think you're really nice and beautiful and awesome and I'm sure your siblings are the same."

I almost felt like my heart had skipped a beat. She called me beautiful.

"I hate when people talk shit about others they don't know," Alice growled. "It pisses me off because they form opinions based on stupid shit like how a person dresses or what they look like and not the things that matter most, like the type of person they are. I've seen it too many times and I for one know what it's like. It isn't pleasant to be on the receiving end."

There was something to her words and I felt inclined to ask her what. But she'd asked me a question first and it would be rude for me to just ignore that.

"You have a very strong opinion," I murmured.

"I do," she agreed. Her eyes looked darker for some reason, but she shook it off quickly. "I just wanted to know a bit more about your siblings. You know, what they're like."

"They're all fantastic people once you get to know them," I replied, shrugging. "Rosalie is the oldest sibling and as such, the most protective. She's always out to make sure that we're all safe, especially me since I'm the only single one. We're very close to each other and we aren't afraid to be open about that. We're both very protective of each other, the way sisters should be."

The whole "we've had sex before" part was best left unsaid, I figured.

"Then there's Emmett, her…boyfriend and my brother. Don't let his appearance fool you; he's the jolly goofball of the family and the typical guy. He plays video games, watches sports and loves to wrestle whenever he gets the chance." _Not that I didn't enjoy them myself._ "I think that he's the easiest to get along with for people that are new, but I'm sure he'd like you fine."

"I'm sure he would," she giggled. _Ooh, confident. I like that._ "What about your other blonde sister Jane? You seem pretty close to her, too."

I smiled and nodded while she started chewing on another bite of food. "I am, yeah. Jane's a little stinker most of the time and she's pretty stubborn. She's also almost as protective of me as Rosalie is and I'll tell you now, she doesn't like Jessica Stanley or any of the other girls. Jane's pretty blunt and to the point when it comes down to it. I think you'll have to work to earn her favor since she's a very hard girl to please."

Alice seemed to understand. "Then I'll just have to earn that," she whispered to herself.

"Good luck with that," Jane scoffed. That earned her a smack, from Rosalie I assumed. "Ow!"

"Shut it, short-stuff," Rosalie hissed. "Don't ruin Bella's moment."

I continued. "Then there's Riley, Jane's boyfriend. He and Jasper, my other brother, are a lot alike in many ways. They're both polite and mild-mannered and they both have a hot tempered girlfriend to deal with. I'd say Riley is the quieter of the two and more likely to be to the point when he tells you something. Jasper is always honest, but he's mindful of your feelings, too."

"She's comparing me to you? Is that an insult or something?" Riley asked.

Jasper snickered. "It is to me, not so much you."

"Is that so?" Riley inquired. "I think we'll have to double check on that later today."

"Are you guys gonna make out?" Jane asked, sounding hopeful. "I'm so there."

"Ew!" Emmett whined. "Bad images!"

Riley and Jasper both groaned in unison while Jane giggled evilly. I had to fight to keep my composure straight and was thankful when Rosalie let out a loud growl to them. Leave it to Rosalie to always have my back and silence the others for me. I owed her one.

"And your other sister?" Alice asked, pulling me back into focusing on her. "What's she like?"

"Victoria's a raging ball of fire mixed in with an ego and an attitude to boot," I replied, unable to keep myself from snickering at Victoria's grunt in the background. "She's picky, opinionated and stubborn as hell, but I love her to pieces for that. She's probably the smartest of my sisters and she isn't afraid to point that fact out. And she's great at video games, the violent ones."

Alice seemed amused. "I never realized that you were into gaming, Bella."

"A little," I admitted, rubbing the back of my neck. My siblings all scoffed in unison. Alice lifted an eyebrow and I swear I felt like she had heard them. "Okay, I love playing them. All of my siblings and I play them in our spare time. Can I help it if it's an incredibly addicting way to pass the time that most girls don't understand?"

Alice covered her mouth and giggled even more. I watched her and smiled at how adorable she was sometimes. I knew that there was so much more to her than that and I wanted to know it all, but there was only one thing I needed to know and I needed to get to that.

Unfortunately, the bell rang and I cursed in my head. Shit!

"What the hell?" I asked, looking around. "It's time to go already?"

Alice giggled again. I hadn't noticed until now that her food was gone. Where had I been?

"Of course, silly, we only get thirty minutes," she informed me, amused. "We still have the next class together, though, so we can keep talking."

That was true, but I wanted our conversation to be more private and class wasn't private. I sighed and nodded in agreement as I stood and grabbed my things. Alice and I walked together to our next class once she'd returned her food tray. I listened to Alice talk about her love of shopping, which I did find fairly amusing. She sounded a lot like Rosalie did.

Throughout most of our class we chatted about trivial details. Alice brought up my choice in attire on several occasions. She clearly loved it and I loved the effect it had on her, so watching her gaze at my body throughout class and stumble whenever I caught her was fun. I made sure that she was the main focus of our conversation, however. I wanted to know as much as I could.

When class was over, Alice seemed disdainful that our time had run out. I was still irked by the fact that I'd blown my chance to speak with her earlier, but then I realized that I still had a chance after school ended before she'd left. That was when I would ask her.

"Well this stinks," Alice muttered under her breath. "I guess I'll talk with you tomorrow?"

"Actually, I was meaning to ask you something," I kindly informed her. "Can we talk real quick before you leave to get home?"

"Oh." Her eyes lit up. "Of course, that's cool. What about your ride?"

I chuckled. "Rosalie can wait for a few minutes. It won't kill her."

"If you're sure," she murmured. "Then yeah, I'd love to keep chatting for a few minutes."

We walked out the door together, at which point I turned and flashed Alice a smile. The look on her face as she smiled shakily back at me was priceless and I mentally praised my cousins for helping me discover what I could do with a smile alone.

"I'll, uh, s-see you later," Alice stammered before walking off.

I smirked and walked off to my last class. I didn't even pay attention to what was going on during the class, all I could think about was talking to Alice and hopefully getting the answer I'd been wanting since this weekend, hell since before the weekend. There were a lot of things that pointed towards Alice knowing more than she was letting on. I needed to get to the bottom of it.

Once class had ended, I darted out of the building and made my way into the parking lot. Rosalie and Emmett were already there waiting for me, but I shook my head as I approached. Jasper and the others had already left, it seemed, which was fine. I didn't want to keep all of my siblings waiting for me. It was more fun to make Rosalie and Emmett wait since they had the least amount of patience. Huh. Maybe that's where I got _my_ impatience from.

"Can you guys give me a few minutes? I want to talk with Alice," I said.

Emmett laughed. "Trying to ask her out, are we? I totally want to see that."

"No, fool," I rolled my eyes. "I wasn't able to ask her what I wanted to ask her at lunch."

"Aw," he whined. Rosalie patted his head.

"I'll wait, I suppose," Rosalie said, lifting an eyebrow. "But you'd best not keep me waiting too long just so you can prattle to her and gaze at her body the way you've been doing. I've seen you watching her, my dear sister. Her eyes aren't the only thing you're interested in."

I glared at her while Emmett started to laugh again. "Shut it, Rose."

"Make me," Rosalie countered, smirking.

"Make out!" Emmett chimed, earning a smack from the both of us. "Ow, dang it!"

The familiar chocolate scent hit my nose like a wave and I whipped my head around to see Alice strutting towards her car. I smiled and silently walked off to meet her there, eager to ask her what I'd wanted to ask her. Alice turned as she neared her vehicle and saw me, smiling encouragingly at me, which I returned with a little extra charm.

"Hey," Alice greeted, shaking her daze off. "What's up?"

"Not much," I replied, shrugging. "So, yeah, there's something I've been meaning to ask."

"Go for—" She was interrupted by a loud buzzing noise from her purse. "Damn it." She pulled her purse and stuffed her right hand into it, shuffling through a few things before pulling her cell phone out and opening it. "James, I told you not to text me while I was still at school…"

"That dude's asking for a death wish," Emmett chuckled in the background.

"Quiet," Rosalie whispered.

I clenched my jaw in agitation. James was starting to piss me off now. Alice texted him back before plopping the phone back into her purse. I relaxed myself as best I could, though it seemed like Alice still noticed my tenseness and gave me an apologetic smile.

"Sorry about that," she sighed.

"It's fine."

"Anyways, what was it you wanted to ask me, Bella?" she inquired.

"It's about this past weekend," I started. For some reason I didn't know_ how_ to ask her. Crap.

"Sure—" Her purse vibrated again and she swore as she pulled her phone out. "I just told him not to text…" Her voice lowered to a mutter as she texted back the foolish human who was growing closer and closer to me wanting to rip his head off.

I bit my lip and tried to calm myself. The violent thoughts weren't going to help me.

"I'm so sorry," Alice apologized. "Let me just shut my phone off."

"It's okay, Alice, really," I told her. "You can keep it on. I'll be real quick."

"Alright, shoot."

"I wanted to ask you about that text you sent me, the one—"

For the third time in a row, Alice's phone rang and I was ten seconds away from crushing the irritating device into dust while Alice swore yet again. Emmett was laughing behind me, but I let out an angry growl that quieted him down in seconds. I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath to calm myself down because I could _not_ get angry near Alice.

"Stupid fucking idiot," Alice growled. I opened my eyes in surprise. Did she just swear? Wow.

Alice thrust her hand back into her purse, but apparently that was a bad idea because a few seconds later she yelped and pulled her hand back out as her purse slipped from her other hand. I caught it before it could hit the ground, at which point I looked up at her.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she grumbled. "I cut myself on my nail file."

It was at that point that I looked at her hand. My nostrils flared when something sweet hit them and I felt the world around me disappear altogether. Blood.

**A/N: Uh oh. Nothing ever goes right for Bella, does it? Poor girl. She'll get it eventually. **

**To the anonymous reviewer (why not login, so we can talk face to face?). Look, I wasn't trying to sound angry. You can laugh at me all you'd like, but I wasn't aiming for anger. I was simply stating that the way you phrased your comment seemed more like an insult then constructive criticism. And it's hard to talk to someone that is anonymous without having to make a note about it at the end of a chapter. Just sayin. So you no longer intend to review? That's fine, that's your choice. But I would like to say that I CAN take constructive criticism from someone. It's just that you didn't offer any. You just said "I skipped them because they were irrelevant". What am I supposed to think from that? **

**I know I need to improve. I don't need to be told it, I work towards it every time I write. *shrugs* I mean, you say I'm a good writer, yet the rest of what you say...I dunno, maybe it's because reading tone is difficult on the internet. You sounded a little jerkish there. I'm not dissing you, but the way you worded it didn't sound all that good. If you want to make a point, then make it. I will take constructive criticism. No problems. But to be honest, I don't think the chapters were irrelevant. They had a purpose. It was fluff/filler to show off other characters, add in some humor, help build Bella a bit more. You disagree, that's fine. **

**You don't have to respond to this. I'm not gonna turn this into some pointless flame war or nothing. I just wanted to say that.**

**And with that said, on to the next chapter. **


	19. The Bloodlust

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, that belongs to Meyer. I only own my characters and my own ideas, crazy as they all are. But crazy is good. Sometimes.**

**The Bloodlust**

_Blood. _

The sweet scent flowed into my nostrils and made my mouth pool with venom at thought of tasting it. There was always something about human blood that made it so much more mouthwateringly delicious than animal blood, which wasn't as flavorful or addicting. It'd been a long time since I'd tasted it. And now here it was, right in front of me.

_It looks good._ I felt my tongue move out and lick my lips. _I wonder how good it will taste._

My eyes fixated on the crimson liquid that dripped from the cut on Alice's right index finger as she scowled at it. The sight and smell brought back memories and made my throat burn as I struggled to keep myself from lashing out at the human girl to get it.

_I want it. I want the blood. It smells so good; I can just imagine the taste!_

I mentally smacked myself. _No! That's Alice, my mate! I can't attack her!_

_Who cares? It's blood! Kill her, she means nothing!_

_No!_

"Stinking nail file," Alice grumbled, placing her finger in her mouth. My inner monster raged that she tasted what should be in_ my_ mouth as she looked around on the ground. "Now where the hell did…? Oh, you have it Bella."

_Just a taste, that's all I need…_

I felt my chest rumble as I winced at the burning throb in my throat. I clenched my jaw and stopped breathing at that point because I couldn't take the tantalizing scent of blood. I couldn't hurt her, I wouldn't. She was my mate. I had to control myself, to keep the beast inside of me at bay long enough for me to get away from her. I needed to…but it was so hard.

_I want it so bad, damn it. I have to fight…_

"Bella, are you okay?" The voice was so distant that I wasn't even sure that I'd heard it.

I thrust the purse forward into her arms and took a step back. I couldn't resist it if I was too close to her, but I couldn't take my eyes off of it or stop thinking about it and its taste. And the smell…God, it smelled so good.

"No, I'm not. I'm sorry, I don't like blood, have to go, feel sick," I spurted out. My words were jumbled and rushed because I was speaking without breathing, which was difficult to do when there was blood right there in front of me. My eyes never left her hand.

I felt an arm around my waist from behind and my instincts kicked in. I almost snarled, but I fought the snarl back and merely let out a garbled grunting noise when I turned to see Rosalie staring back at me with darkened eyes full of concern and something more. Emmett was on my other side, standing slightly in front of me at an angle.

Alice looked worried. "Did I do something wrong?" she asked, her eyes settling on me.

"No," I replied, wincing.

"You didn't do anything wrong," Rosalie said. "Bella doesn't do well around blood, that's all. I must apologize, but we need to get our sister home before she gets sick. You two can talk tomorrow on whatever it was you intended to discuss. We must leave now."

"Alright," she murmured. "Goodbye Bella."

I wanted to say something, but Rosalie pulled me away before I could open my mouth. Emmett remained behind and I could see his mouth moving as he faced Alice. How could he resist the blood that was right there in front of him?

"Get a hold of yourself," Rosalie whispered. "Fight the monster back, Bella. You can do it."

I let out the breath I'd been holding in and hissed. "I want the blood."

"Fight, Bella," Rosalie repeated.

I closed my eyes, the thoughts about tasting Alice's blood pulsating through my mind. I could feel the burn in my throat and the desire to go back, but I did what Rosalie and so many others before her had told me; I fought it. I kept my eyes shut and told myself over and over again that Alice was my mate and that hurting her was wrong.

_I can't hurt her. If I did, I will be as bad as __**him**__. I can't hurt her. I will not hurt her._

I chanted these words again and again, forcing the image of a dead Alice into my brain, causing me to whimper at the horrifying thought. I forced the horrific image away and kept the chanting up as I tensed my body up. The thought of having Alice's blood slowly dissipated, but the burn and the desire still remained in the back of my head.

It was hard. The beast inside of me was fighting to get out. It wanted the blood more than anything and it didn't care about who got hurt. Trying to hold it back was just making it angrier and I could feel it clawing around inside, struggling to get loose.

"Bella."

I growled quietly.

"Bella!"

I felt two hands on my face and I opened my eyes. Rosalie was cupping my cheeks and staring back at me. I could feel a strong wave of calm envelop me like a blanket and looked over to see Jasper to my left, standing a few feet away from the door. Where the hell was I?

"Where…?"

I turned back to Rosalie, who motioned toward the door. Silently I got out and realized that I was back at the house. Jasper laid a hand on my shoulder sending out even stronger waves of calm that quelled the beast inside of me. Now that Alice was nowhere to be seen, I no longer felt the urge to taste her blood. But I did feel the thirst because the burn in my throat remained intense.

"She needs to hunt," Jasper said. "I'll take her."

"No." I turned my head partially to see Victoria standing near him. "I'll take her to hunt; I need some blood in me myself so it'll make more sense if I go."

Jasper nodded. I didn't bother questioning the redhead; I just turned and darted for the forest ahead of me, aware that she was following a few steps behind me. I ignored her and gave myself up to the beast now that there were no humans around. I immediately located my prey and dashed towards it before I sank my teeth, paying my surroundings no attention whatsoever.

Once my prey, a stray deer, was fully drained of its lifeblood, I moved on and attacked a second one for good measure. When I'd drained the second deer of blood, I wiped my lips and moved a few feet away before plopping down on the ground and leaning against a tree. I needed a moment to gather my thoughts and now was as good a time as any.

"Fuck," I muttered as I ran my hands through my hair and closed my eyes. I couldn't believe that Alice had cut herself then and that I'd nearly lost control. The fact that she was my mate had helped a little bit, but I had still wanted to kill her for her blood. What was wrong with me?

"You feel pretty shitty, huh?" I didn't look up as Victoria approached and sat down a few inches away from me. "I know the feeling, Bella, trust me. It's not a good one."

"No, it's not," I muttered.

"I take it you're not in the mood to talk, then?" Victoria inquired.

I looked up at her. "What do you want to talk about, Victoria?"

She ran her fingers through her fiery colored curls. "I heard that you've been trying to find some way to help with training your self-control. Carlisle could help you the most, I think. His training exercises helped me a lot, you know. And I had the worst control in this family when I first joined it way back when, remember? I slipped more times than anybody."

My face softened as she looked down at the ground. Victoria had always struggled with her inner beast and that included talking about it. Still, she had better control than I did now and she was never taught about hunting animals for blood instead of humans.

"You did at first, but you became really controlled," I murmured. "Why is it so hard for me?"

Victoria sighed. "Bella…" She bit her lip and moved in closer to me before she was sitting an inch and a half from my left side. Her eyes were downcast as a gust of wind tousled our hair, making her curls bob about like fire. "I need to come clean about something that I've never shared with anyone, not even Jasper."

"What is it?" I asked quietly.

"Back when I was first learning how to control myself, I…" She sighed. "I cheated."

My eyes widened. "You _what_?"

Victoria looked me in the eyes, her amber ones full of shame and remorse. "I killed humans when I said I wasn't for the first few months. I know I shouldn't have, but it was so hard for me not to that I lost control and it just happened. I always burned the bodies and I never told a soul about what I'd done because I was terrified that you would kill me for it, so I kept quiet."

"Please Bella; believe me when I say that I regret every one of them now," Victoria pleaded. "It was just so hard at the time that I couldn't keep myself from doing it. I did try, I truly did. It was only after a while that I forced myself to stop and I really worked on converting to a vegetarian."

I bit my lip. I could understand and sympathize with my sister completely. I had slipped on far too many occasions to ever judge her for slipping. I knew what that was like and the guilt that was plaguing her was the same guilt that plagued me.

I placed my hand on her shoulder and squeezed it. "I don't blame you, Tori. I know what it's like to go through that sort of thing and I hold nothing against you. Thank you for telling me. You shouldn't be afraid to tell Esme and Carlisle, though, or Jasper for that matter. They won't hate you or be angry with you over it, I know. They love you too much."

"I know, I've just been afraid to," she admitted. "It's silly, I'll admit. I just can't help it."

I nodded in understanding. "Facing your past demons is never easy."

"It isn't," she agreed. "But it's necessary. Doing so makes us stronger, I think. Otherwise we'll end up being consumed by them and we'll never be able to escape it."

I ran a hand through my hair. "That's easier said than done, unfortunately."

"True."

We both sat still, staring into the forest for a while. Neither of us spoke at first. It wasn't an awkward silence per say, but we both knew that we wanted to talk. We just didn't know how to go about talking to each other about this type of thing.

"Hey Tori, what was it like before you joined our family?" I asked, glancing at the redhead.

Victoria's lips twitched as she thought about my question. "I'd say that it was a much different world for me back then. It didn't have high school, a loving family, a mate and it certainly wasn't as easy as my life is now."

"I don't think you've ever really talked much about it," I murmured, pulling my legs closer to my body as I gave her my full attention. I was curious.

"There's not much to really talk about," she mumbled. "But I guess that you deserve to know more about me. You are the one who brought me into this family and the one that helped me become who I am today, after all."

"Me?" I asked, blinking.

Victoria smiled. "I owe my new life to you, Bella. Sure, the love that Jasper showed me and that the others gave me helped immensely, but you were the first one to take to me, the one who brought me into your family and showed me the right pathway in life."

"I never realized you felt that way, Tori," I murmured. "Jazz has mentioned, I just thought he was trying to make me feel better because we don't talk that much."

"And why would he lie to you?" she snorted. "Honestly, Bella."

I gave her a sheepish smile and gently rested my head on her shoulder. She snorted again and wrapped her arm around me to pull me closer. I enjoyed this, the bonding moments that I had with my siblings like this. After a moment of silence, Victoria started speaking.

"After I was changed, I joined the coven of the woman that changed me," Victoria began. "Her name was Nikala Kaine, a powerful woman who had been around for a good hundred years before she found me and brought me into her coven. I learned from her and her husband Asher about the ways of hunting, surviving and what our world was like. They taught me how to fight and kill without caring. And for a while, I enjoyed my life with them."

"I found romance with one of their coven members, a man named Liam. I thought that what we shared was love and passion, but the reality that it wasn't sank in many years later. Back then, I was crueler, colder and more vicious and I loved it. I loved the freedom, the power and the overall sense that I was in a league of my own because of my fighting skills and my gift, which I figured out four years after I'd become a vampire."

She paused to look me in the eyes.

"I had thought of the Kaines as my family for a while. I saw Nikala as a mentor and a mother figure and I'd gotten close to a few of the other members. Unfortunately, the longer I spent with them the more I came to realize that they only valued me for my abilities. They didn't love or care for me, or even the others. We were all pawns for them and nothing more."

"How did you find out?" I asked.

Victoria smiled a little. "I followed Nikala and Asher one night. I kept my distance, using my gift to avoid being detected. I'd learned how to follow other vampires without being seen, a skill that they shouldn't have taught me. At any rate, they met with some other vampire or vampires; I don't know to be honest. I could hear several voices, but I only focused on theirs."

"I heard them say it in their own words that we were nothing more than pawns," she growled, her eyes darkening and filling with malice. "The fuckers didn't care what happened to us in the end so long as we did what they wanted. I was pissed. I wanted to go and rip them into pieces, but I kept myself from it because my instincts told me not to. So I returned and kept it to myself."

I furrowed my brow. "You didn't tell the others?"

She shook her head. "There was no point, they wouldn't listen. I didn't like them as much as I did when I first joined because I'd seen how fake they were. From that point on, I decided that I would look out for myself only. I remained with the Kaines, but only until I saw an opportunity to leave them once and for all. I wanted nothing more to do with them after that."

"I'm surprised you didn't try to kill them," I mused.

"Oh, but I did," she replied. "That was the day I had chosen to leave them. I attacked Nikala from behind and ended up getting into a huge fight with her. We clashed for hours, Nikala ranting and raving about how foolish I was. She bit me five times, I bit her three. I was surprised that I was able to injure her the way I did. She was stronger than me, though. She had more experience on her side than I did and I nearly died. But she spared my life and left me."

Victoria paused to pull her shirt up some, revealing the bite marks that were now a permanent part of her body. I ran my fingers over one and gave her a gentle smile as I lifted my shirt and showed her a few of mine. We both laughed as we pulled out shirts back down and readjusted ourselves so that we were comfortable again. Victoria was smiling now.

"You are weird," she laughed. "But I'm a freak myself and I love you, so it's cool."

"I'm pretty sure Jasper digs your scars, anyways," I remarked. "Considering the fact that he's got more than anyone in the family, I think he'd find them attractive."

"He does and so do I," Victoria said. "I'm proud of my scars. I wasn't at the time, but now I am because it shows that I survived and that I have moved on from my old life. After Nikala left me, I honestly thought I was going to die. I was weak and I didn't smell any humans near me."

"I wandered for a day and a half before I found a human and I killed her." Victoria's face darkened as she spoke this. I gave her a questioning look. She sighed. "That was the day that my conscience started to come back to me. You see, after I'd drained her of her blood, I realized something was odd about her body and that I could hear something. When I examined her body further, I saw that she had been pregnant. I had killed both her and in turn, her unborn child."

I watched as her face fell and I rubbed her back to soothe her. "You didn't know, Tori. You had no way of knowing. It's not your fault."

"Thanks, but it doesn't make it any better," she murmured. "The fact that I killed an unborn child tore into my dead heart and loomed there for the next few years of my life. I wandered aimlessly around without a purpose. I killed humans, but each time I did, I imagined that woman's face in the back of my mind, holding a dead infant. It bothered me up until the point when I met you."

Her eyes became lighter then as she smiled. "You took pity on me and helped change my life around, Bella. I want you to know that you have my eternal gratitude and love for that and that I will always be here for you, whether it's fighting alongside you or giving you advice. I know that you are closest to Rosalie for the many similarities that you share, but I consider myself to be closer to you than her because of what you've given me."

"Thank you, Victoria. That means a lot to me," I told her, kissing her cheek. She smiled and returned the cheek kiss. "What do you think I should do about my control? I don't want to have those thoughts running through my head like I did earlier."

"Do what I did," Victoria replied. "Imagine Alice's face whenever you feel the need to taste a human's blood, especially if it's hers. Keep that image in mind and your love and need to keep from hurting her will fight your inner monster off. Talk with Carlisle and do his tests, too. They will help you out greatly because it uses actual blood."

I ran a hand through my hair again. "Yeah, that would be the best thing to help."

"It is," Victoria agreed, touching my shoulder. "You'll do fine, Bella. It'll just take a bit of time before you'll be able to resist blood the same way that the others do. It still bothers me, to be completely honest. It bothers me to be around humans sometimes, too, because I get scared that I might slip if I'm not too careful with controlling myself. I'm lucky to have Jasper, but even so."

"Will it ever be easy?" I breathed, sighing.

I wasn't asking Victoria, I was more so just asking myself. I hated the idea of having this to deal with while I tried to get closer to Alice. I knew that relationships had their hardships, but always craving your beloved's blood wasn't exactly something I wanted to think about.

"You worry too much," Victoria said, playfully nudging me.

"It's in my nature," I grumbled.

"Your nature stinks," Victoria snickered. "C'mon, we've been moping around out here long enough; I think it's time we head back to the house before someone gets worried. If you want to continue talking with me, we can in my room or yours, whichever works. Shall we?"

She stood up and smiled. I rolled my eyes and got up. "Yeah, sure. Oh, and Tori?"

"Yes, Bella?"

"Thank you," I said, flinging my arms around her in a tight hug.

Victoria chuckled and hugged me back. "You know, for someone who struggles with self-esteem and opening up to people and has a thirst for getting revenge, you're probably one of the sweetest, most affectionate people I've ever met. Aside from Carlisle and Esme, only they don't have the same kinds of problems like you do."

I lightly smacked her shoulder. "Shut up, fire-crotch."

"You know you love me," she teased, smacking my ass.

"I do, but you're still a pain."

"You want to race to the house?" she offered, lifting an eyebrow.

I smirked. "You know I'll win."

We took off at the same time toward the house, running as fast as we both could. Like I'd known, I did end up winning our race to the house. I waited two whole minutes for Victoria to finally catch up, her amber eyes narrowed with agitation and confusion. I beamed, feeling much better now than I had when I'd first gotten home.

"Wipe that smirk off of your face," Victoria grumbled. "I _let _you win."

I stuck my tongue out at her. "You're a sore loser."

"I am not."

"Are too," I teased.

She huffed. "Whatever, Bella, I demand a rematch at some point in time this week." The redhead crossed her arms and shook her head. "I swear, you're faster than most normal vampires are, almost like your speed is your gift without it actually being a gift."

I cocked my head to the side. "If it was my gift, wouldn't Eleazar have said something?"

"You don't see him very much," she pointed out. "And even so, when's the last time you've actually spoken with Eleazar whenever you do see him? You're always with someone else. I'm not saying that it's the truth, but who knows, you might have a gift and just not know it yet."

I thought about it and shrugged. "I doubt it, if I had a gift, I would've realized it by now."

"You are pretty slow when it comes to wits," Victoria snickered, patting my shoulder.

I growled at her. "You're one to talk."

She smirked at me as she passed me and walked inside of the house. I muttered under my breath and followed after her, shaking my head. Siblings could be awesome one second and then a royal pain in the ass the next second. I glanced around the living room and noticed that only Jasper and Riley were on the couch. The others weren't around, but I could smell them.

"Bella! Victoria! There you two are," Esme sang as she appeared in the room. "I was beginning to wonder when the two of you would show up. Jasper told me you'd gone hunting. I also heard that there was a problem of some kind at school?"

"It's nothing, mom," I said, waving it off. "Nothing to worry about."

Esme didn't seem to believe me, but she didn't ask any further. She gave Victoria a hug and a kiss and then me a hug and a kiss before going back into the kitchen. I wondered what she was doing in there all the time and considered asking.

I walked into the kitchen to see her staring down at a box of something.

"What're you doing, Esme?" I asked curiously.

She looked up and smiled. "I'm just reading over the directions on how to make this when the time comes. I want to be prepared for when you start bringing your mate over so that she'll be well fed and not starve. _You_ will be learning how to cook too, young lady. I want you to be able to make her a meal yourself at one point."

I cringed at the thought of making human food. The horrible smell would be the worst part.

"Do I really have to?" I asked.

"Yes," Esme replied. "No bellyaching about it, either. You don't have to learn right now."

I pursed my lips and walked off. I guess it made sense that I'd need to learn since Alice was a human and she _did_ need to eat. That brought to mind several thoughts about what the future would hold when Alice and I ended up together. But those were things I would think about later on when we were. Since we weren't together yet, I had to work on strengthening myself.

I wanted us to be together soon. I was getting a little impatient with waiting.

With a sigh I walked up the stairs and nearly got to my room before Em and Rose's door opened and the two of them stepped out. My normal reaction would be to poke fun of them because of the usual messy hair, but for once, their hair wasn't messy and they both looked normal.

"No sex today? That's a first," I joked.

Neither of them replied. I frowned, biting down on my bottom lip.

"Er, guys? Is something wrong?" I asked.

Rosalie spoke. "Nothing's wrong, Bella. We just needed a moment to talk."

Emmett nodded silently. I lifted an eyebrow.

"About what, if I may ask?"

"What happened earlier at school with your "mate"," Rosalie replied, sighing. "Her blood was the first human blood I've smelled in a while. I nearly lost it. I was amazed that I had the control to pull you away from her the way I did and even more amazed that Emmett was able to stay behind and talk to her before we drove you home."

"What did you tell her?" I inquired, turning to my taller brother.

"I just told her not to take it personally and that you'd be better tomorrow," he shrugged.

I felt a little relieved. "Thanks, Em. I hope it wasn't too hard for you."

"No problem," he said, grinning a little. "It was a bit hard, I'll admit. I kept myself in check long enough to tell her and then we left with you."

"You were pretty out of it the whole trip home," Rosalie informed me. "I drove faster than I normally do, though, so it wasn't that long. Once we got home, I got you out of your little trance and then went inside to clear my head. Em too. That's why we went upstairs here."

I nodded in understanding. "I'm glad you're both feeling better."

"Let's try not to have a repeat again, hm?" Rosalie arched an eyebrow. "It wasn't your fault, but get to the damn point quicker rather than stumbling over your words."

I scoffed. "Hey, give me a break! That damn jackass was texting her while I was trying to talk and it's his fault that she cut herself in the first place! Who are you to tell me what to do when you're as whipped as your husband here when it comes to sex?"

The blonde glared at me. "_Excuse _me, just what in the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means you're cock whipped!" Jane replied from downstairs before bursting into giggles. Jasper, Riley and Victoria, who had all gathered downstairs, all joined her in a harmonic bout of laughter and I added mine in too. Rosalie just stood there with a blank face. Emmett was struggling to keep himself from laughing since he knew that he'd get in trouble for it later.

"Fuck you all," Rosalie huffed. "Jane, I'm going to kill you."

In a frenzied fury, Rosalie snarled and dashed downstairs in a split second and I could hear the sound of Jane yelping and fleeing out the front door. I could just imagine Rosalie hot on her heels and burst into laughter. Emmett couldn't hold it in any longer and burst as well, clutching his sides for added effect. Even Esme was giggling.

I shook my head and moved into my room, kicking my shoes off. I moved them aside and went to sit on my bed, where I noticed my backpack was laying. I chuckled and went for my cell phone to see if I had anything new and was surprised to find that I had a next text. From Alice.

I hastily opened my cell up and clicked to see the text.

_Hey Bella, I'm sorry that you weren't feeling well. We can talk tomorrow at school and this time I'll keep my phone off so that James doesn't bother us. I promise._

I stared down at the text and sighed before I closed my phone before setting it aside. I had to deal with her tomorrow, so I needed to figure out how I planned to go about it. I had to be sensitive, but at the same time, I wasn't going to put up with no answer at all.

I bit my lip as I tossed all of my school junk onto the floor and rested my head on my pillow, staring up at the ceiling in silence. I tuned out everything else and wrapped my arms around my own body, hugging it tightly as I shut my eyes. Thoughts ran through my mind, all of them centered around the mystery that was Alice Brandon. I only hoped that when the time came, she would be honest with me. Then we could proceed further into our relationship.

For now, all I could do was wait for tomorrow to come.

**A/N: Family fluff is incredibly fun to write. I feel bad for not putting enough in Blood Solstice, but the Bloodshots will be full of it to make up for the lack. I'll be sure to keep it in mind for the future, too. I think I've said that before, but if I didn't, then I meant to.**

**I like this chapter. I like being able to explore good Victoria's backstory a little. I plan to do that for Riley and Jane, too, since all three are very different from their canon versions.**

**At any rate, just in case someone randomly asks if Bella's going to have super control now, no, she will not. She will train herself and get increasingly better as the story continues because that is more realistic then just mystically having superior control. I thought that part of the book was ridiculous (I thought a lot of it was ridiculous, but I don't want to ruin the moment by ranting). So yes, it will be there, but it will get gradually better over time.**

**One last thing of note. I know that I have a tendency to overdo the fillers sometimes. I apologize for that because it does draw things out. I just can't help myself sometimes. I think fillers are good things because it adds more to the story and gives other characters some spotlight and adds in some humor and fluff. I do know that I can put in too much filler, so I will try to cut down a tad. But for the most part, I'll always have fillers involved because I like them and most other people like them. I know, this is my story and I shouldn't let the readers influence me, but I do need to tone the fillers down just a smidge. Or try to. :P**


	20. Crash

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, it belongs to Meyer. I only take credit for my own characters and ideas, that is it.**

**Crash**

I rocked my head around as I laid on my bead, listening to my current favorite band, a group called Mutiny Within, on my iPod with the volume all the way up. It was great. I'd spent the last few hours just listening to my music, allowing my mind to be sucked into an entirely different world where it was just me and the songs. That is what I loved most about music.

The day wasn't even over yet. It was around seven-ish, which meant that there was still plenty of time left before it was time to go to school. At the same time, that meant I had to wait a lot longer to see Alice again, which sucked. Hence another reason for the music; to make time pass.

I had been thinking about Alice ever since I'd returned from talking with Victoria. I'd thought a lot about my control and ways to work on it, namely taking up Carlisle's training offer. I knew what it would entail and I'd been fighting myself over going to him to try it out. I wasn't sure if I would do any good, but I needed to improve for my sake and for Alice's.

With a sigh, I waited until the song finished before I turned my iPod off and set aside. If I was going to do this, I needed to do it now while it was still early. After all, since it involved blood, I would need to be mentally stable for when I went to school the following day.

I walked out from my room and went to Carlisle's office door, waiting by it for a few seconds.

"Come in, Bella," Carlisle said from the other side. I strode in and saw both him and Esme sitting at Carlisle's large desk. Carlisle was reading over some notes on his desk while Esme had a book in her hands, likely something suggested by Jane.

"Hello sweetheart," Esme greeted, setting the book down and running over to hug me.

"Hey Mom, Dad," I greeted, reveling in the hug until Esme broke away.

"What can we do for you, Bella?" Carlisle asked, glancing up from his notes and smiling.

I bit my lip. "I was actually hoping to try out one of your control tests for myself. I wanted to try it now just in case things got messy, you know? Is that okay with you?"

"Of course it is," he replied, smoothly standing up. "I will go fetch a sample of blood from the basement and we can begin." He smiled once more before leaving the room.

"Would you like me to stay to help?" Esme asked, taking my hand in hers. I nodded. Esme kissed my cheek and pulled me back into her arms for another hug. "It's okay, dear. We will do our best to help you fight your bloodlust. And it's nothing to be ashamed about, either. We've all gone through it and it wasn't easy for any of us."

"I know," I sighed, relaxing into her warm, motherly embrace. "I'm just sick of feeling like the weak link in the family because I can't keep myself in check. I'm tired of it and I want to be able to resist blood the way that the rest of you can. I want to be able to be near Alice without it tempting me so that we can actually be together."

"I know sweetie," Esme said softly, rubbing my back. "I promise you, we'll help. And you_ will _learn to control yourself so that you can be with who you're destined to be with."

I looked into her loving eyes and smiled. "Thanks mama."

She smiled back and kissed my forehead. "It's what I'm here for. That, being the supportive super-mom that is ten times better than any other mom and embarrassing my little babies whenever I feel the need to." She winked at me as Carlisle walked back in, chuckling.

"That is quite frequent, too," Carlisle said, smiling. I noticed a vial of blood in his hand and was thankful that I'd already hunted a few hours before; otherwise I'd be getting thoughts. Then again, it wouldn't matter since the moment I smelled it, my inner beast would want it.

Esme giggled. "Well, I have to make sure my children don't become too high and mighty with themselves, don't you agree honey? After all, it's only fair that we two do what we can to show them love and to show them that thinking they are better than us is wrong."

His smile broadened. "It took a while for that to work on Rosalie, but it was mildly amusing to see her reaction the day after her wedding, wasn't it?"

"Oh, it was," Esme agreed, smiling rather dangerously. "I'm sure that neither Rosalie nor Emmett will forget that little incident with the cake. It wasn't mean spirited, though; it was just to prove to them that their weddings aren't the best simply because they choose to get married every ten years. Honestly, we can only go through it_ so_ many times."

I burst into laughter when I remembered what they were talking about—and how could I not, these were the two sweetest people in the world talking about something no one would ever expect from them—and they soon joined me. After a while, we stopped and the mood in the room was much happier and I was feeling much better. For now.

"Now then," Carlisle said, clearing his throat. "I do believe that now is a good time for us to begin your training, Bella. It's a simple test, one that I have performed on myself, Esme and each of the others on several occasions. I am going to slather a drop of blood onto a cloth and I want to see how long you can hold out before you go for it."

"And when you do, I will step in to hold you back so that Carlisle can dispose of the bloodied cloth and we can discuss what happened from there," Esme finished, smiling.

I blanched. "Wait, w-what if I attack you?"

"You don't have to worry, dear. Your father and I may not be the best in terms of combat, but we have trained with each other enough to know how to handle a hungry vampire. I've had my share of incidents in the past and I'll admit I have a few scars, but I hold nothing against you if something happens. I simply want you to do the best you can, nothing more."

The idea of me hurting Esme or Carlisle terrified me to no end. I couldn't do that to them.

"Relax, Bella," Carlisle said softly. "We know what we're doing. You shouldn't worry."

"I don't like the sound of it," I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "I just don't."

Carlisle squeezed my shoulder. "You really need to work on your worrying, Bella."

I opened my mouth to respond, but realized he was right. I nodded tersely. "You're right, I do worry too much. Let's get this test started with. I want to see for myself how well I can do."

They both nodded. Esme moved to position herself behind me while Carlisle moved his desk aside and instead brought out a foldout table and placed a single shred of cloth on it. He then pulled a q-tip from his pocket and opened up the vial of blood. I felt my stomach tighten.

The scent of the blood filtered into the air. Carlisle was completely unaffected by it. I turned my head slightly to see Esme was fairly stable as well, though her eyes had darkened a tad bit. I swallowed the small amount of venom that was in my mouth. I took in a brief breath and released it to ease myself. Carlisle looked at me before dipping the q-tip in and pulled it out to smear the blood from the vial onto the center of the cloth.

I stopped breathing and stared down at the blood a few feet away from me. I didn't trust myself to breathe yet because I wanted to see how long I could go without breathing. It was an odd sensation, not breathing. My lungs were dead, so there wasn't a need to breathe in the first place, but going for a long period of time without using my nose was incredibly uncomfortable.

"How do you feel, Bella?" Carlisle asked.

"Fine," I replied breathlessly.

He nodded and clasped his hands together. He was standing a few feet away from the bloodied cloth with a placid expression, glancing once at the watch on his left wrist. I returned my gaze to the cloth and stared at the crimson liquid that stained it. Part of me wanted to know why I was standing around for because it wanted the blood, but I ignored it.

I put Alice's face into my mind and balled my hands into fists. I needed to do whatever I could to keep myself from breathing, but it was difficult to do. Seeing blood there made my mouth water even if I couldn't smell it, which made it increasingly difficult to keep myself in check. The urge to breathe was starting to become stronger, but I kept myself from it. I needed to concentrate.

Concentrate, concentrate…

I couldn't hold it in anymore and I let out the breath I'd been holding in. My nostrils flared seconds later and the mouthwatering scent flocked to my nostrils. I shuddered and my mouth pooled up with venom as my throat began to burn. I twitched.

I tried to think of something else. Alice. I thought of Alice, but the image of her face was blurry because my inner beast was fighting against me to get the blood. I couldn't take my eyes off of it and the scent was tearing away at my image of Alice. I needed it. I need it. Mine!

I lunged for the blood, but before I could get even inches away, I felt a pair of arms link around my waist and pull me back before I was pinned to the floor. I snarled.

"Let me go!" I roared.

"No," came the response, gently and calmly.

I hissed and fought under the arms. As I did, the sweet scent was starting to fade. My inner beast went wild because my blood was going away and it belonged in my mouth. I managed to push whatever was holding me down and sprang to my feet. But no sooner had I done so did a pair of arms wrap around the back of my waist and lock around me. Damn it!

A few seconds later the scent was gone and I could feel my senses slowly beginning to return to me as the arms eventually pulled away. I blinked several times and looked around. Carlisle was setting a lighter down on his moved desk and I noticed a trash can, a burning scent coming from it. Putting two and two together, I realized that Carlisle had burnt the cloth.

"That was very good, Bella," Carlisle informed me, giving me a tender smile. "You were able to last out a good three minutes before you gave in to your demons. That's the longest you've been able to last out, I believe, from past experiences."

I let out a breath of relief and sat down. "How long were the others able to go?"

Carlisle went to his desk and opened up the top drawer, likely for his notes. He pulled out a sheet of paper and scribbled something down on it before he turned to face me.

"For their first time, the one who lasted the longest was Riley," he replied. "He was able to keep himself in control for five minutes and forty two seconds before he slipped. Your time is actually a total of three minutes and thirteen seconds. Twelve more seconds and you would have tied with Victoria when she first attempted it some years back."

My lips twitched. I was both disappointed and pleased. Pleased that I'd been able to do better than I'd originally thought and disappointed that my time was still the least. I wanted to say something about it, but I stopped myself and merely nodded. I _would_ do better next time.

Esme hugged me. "Nicely done, sweetheart."

"Thanks."

"I believe that one test will suffice for one night, don't you agree?" Carlisle inquired.

I nodded. "Yes, thank you, Carlisle."

"Is there anything else you'd like to talk about or would you like to go and relax?" he asked.

I thought about it. I'd considered talking with him about the oddities surrounding Alice, but at the same time, I didn't understand them myself. I wanted to be sure of whatever it was that was going on with her before I brought it up with my parents. I didn't want to make Alice sound like some crazy person, after all. But then…was I normal to begin with?

"No, nothing right now," I replied. "And I think one's enough."

He chuckled as Esme went over to stand near him. "I understand completely. I'm very proud of what you've accomplished and I hope that we can continue this every few days. You'll master your self-control in no time, I'm very certain of that."

"We both are," Esme stated, smiling warmly at me.

"Thank you both," I said. "In a few days, we can try again."

"Of course," Carlisle said.

I bowed before I departed from Carlisle's study and went back to my room. I spent my remaining time listening to music and thinking to myself about the following day and seeing Alice. I hoped that this time our conversation wouldn't be interrupted. The following hours passed by at a slow rate that made me wish I could manipulate time. That'd be a cool gift to have.

Eventually it was that time again and I turned my music off and readied myself. It only took a good minute or so to undress and throw on a new pair of clothes. I went with a similar outfit that I had like the one I'd worn the day before, only this one was a bit more relaxed.

Once I'd dressed and fixed my hair and face up via Rosalie's makeup—she had a giant ass collection of the stuff, so it wasn't like she was going to miss it—I planned on grabbing my music and meeting up with the others. I hadn't counted on running into Emmett a split second after I'd taken a step out of the bathroom door. He was grinning, as usual.

"What do you want, Em?" I questioned him, not liking that glint in his eyes. But then, he always seemed to have a glint in his eyes unless he was hungry, pissed off or being serious. The latter was probably the rarest of the three.

"Oh, you know, I wanted to come see how my baby sister's doing," he replied innocently.

I lifted an eyebrow. "Baby sister? I thought that was reserved for Jane?" I smiled when I heard Jane growl from downstairs and Emmett guffawed. "If you're checking up on me, in all seriousness I'm doing fine. Ready to get this crap over with so I can talk to Alice."

Emmett grinned wider. "Actually, I heard from a little birdie that you were up here training your self control last night and didn't tell any of your amazing siblings about it." Emmett's tone was playful and not serious in the least bit. He and the others didn't expect me to tell them everything and I could see that just by looking into his amber eyes. There _was_ a brother in there. I think.

"I was, yeah," I shrugged. "I did better than I thought. I just have to keep practicing."

"That's the attitude!" Emmett boomed cheerily.

"Emmett, why'd you really come up here to talk to me?" I inquired.

"Er, because Rose wanted me to make sure you did your makeup right?" he offered.

I narrowed my eyes. "Try again, big guy."

"I wanted to say hi to my favorite sister?"

"No."

"I wanted to give you a big hug?"

"You would've already," I pointed out. "Spit it out, Emmett. What's the deal?"

Emmett's face fell and he rubbed the back of his neck while trying to find the words to voice whatever he wanted to talk to me about. I found it a little humorous, Emmett of all people having a loss of words. That was even rarer than Emmett being serious about something.

"Well, when you were over in Denali…" he started, giving me a sheepish smile.

"Yes…?" I asked. "Go on."

"And when you talked with our cousins…" He paused for a moment. "Did they, you know, give you some advice on how to please a woman and have you—"

"EMMETT!" Rosalie appeared from nowhere and smacked him in the shoulder. "What the hell do you think you're doing asking her that kind of question, mister? First off, our cousins' sex lives are none of our concern. Secondly, you do NOT get to ask and fantasize about them fucking each other, do you hear me? _I_ am the only woman you can fantasize about!"

"But what if it's you and another woman?" Emmett offered. I pinched the bridge of my nose.

Rosalie opened her mouth to respond, but then she paused to actually consider that. "That would depend on the other woman you were involving. If it's any of my sisters, I would kick you in the balls for thinking like that regardless of what's happened in the past. However, if it's someone that I like and that I think is sexy, I might be considerate about it…"

Emmett's face lit up as if it were Christmas for a five year old. "So can we talk about who you'd be willing to do it with, huh Rosie?"

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "Later Em, later."

"Sweet!" he crooned, doing a fist pump in the air.

"You are such a guy, Emmett," I sighed, shaking my head humorously.

Rosalie turned her eyes on me. "And you! Did I say you could use my makeup?"

"You never said I couldn't," I giggled, kissing her cheek. "Now c'mon, you two can talk about your ostentatious sex life later. We have Hell to get to and I have a woman I need to talk with to get some answers, so let's move!"

I marched downstairs at vampire speed while the two of them just stared after me.

"What just happened?" Rosalie asked.

"Bella grew balls," Emmett replied, earning him a smack. "What? It's true!"

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," I muttered under my breath.

The others were laughing like mad even as I exited the house with my backpack slung over my left shoulder. It didn't take long for the others to cease their laughing—okay, they were still laughing as they walked outside and even as Rosalie and Jasper drove their vehicles out. I just grumbled and jumped in the back of Rosalie's car.

Rosalie sped off and we were in school in no time. I jumped out of the back of her car and looked around for Alice's car, but saw no sign of it. I scowled at that and waited patiently for her to arrive at school. I wasn't sure how I would get around to asking her my question without just being blunt about it. The thing was, I wasn't sure how she was going to take it when I asked.

The others went off to class without me and I waited until there was a minute before first period would begin. And there was still no sign of Alice. I was starting to get a little worried and sniffed the air to see if I could pick up Alice's scent, but there was nothing.

I started toward the school, stuffing my hands into my pockets. I was starting to feel worried when I heard the sound of a speeding car and turned to see Alice's yellow Porsche blurred into the school parking lot and parked itself in her usual spot. Alice stepped out hurriedly and ran toward the door when she noticed me.

"Bella!" she exclaimed, surprised.

"Hey Alice, I was starting to wonder where you were," I said, biting my lip.

Alice stopped to catch her breath. I could smell the sweat covering her body and chewed on my lip even more because of the sweetness. I shook the thought from my head and ignored it, telling myself that a little sweat was nothing and that just talking to her was more important.

"Sorry about that," Alice said. "I know you usually wait for me. I got a late start this morning because I went to bed a little too late last night. It was chaos when my mother woke me this morning and I had to rush to get ready and bathe before I got to school."

"It's okay, I'm just glad you made it," I replied. "Is it okay if I walk with you to your class?"

"Won't you be late to your class?" she inquired.

"You're asking me if I'd rather go to class then spend time with a friend?"

She beamed at me. "You're right, that's stupid of me. Of course you we can walk and talk."

So we did. We didn't talk about much, but we did promise to chat more during Lunch. Alice seemed to pause near the door and looked at me through her eyelashes for a moment. I felt like I should say something, but nothing came to my mind. I did, however, recall what Kate and Amara had told me, so I decided to be brave for once.

"I'll talk to you later," I said, leaning down to kiss her on her left cheek. I felt Alice gasp when my lips touched her flesh and she shuddered for a few seconds after I pulled away. I licked my lips as I turned away from her and smiled, both at the taste and at the effect it'd had. I walked off toward my class then, the sound of Alice walking into her class reaching my ears soon after.

I didn't pay much attention to what occurred during my classes. All I could think about was talking to Alice and that this time; I'd ask her at lunch without being fearful. I needed to take initiative and trust that asking her was right and that it would work.

Eventually the bell I'd been waiting for rang and I grabbed my things before heading out the door, the only thing on my mind being getting the answer that I'd put off getting for more than long enough due to my own irrational fear. I was tired of waiting, anyways. Which showed that I did kind of need to work on my lack of patience a bit, but that could come later.

Unfortunately, Alice was not present when I arrived. I found my patience was degrading and turning anxiousness as I went to set my backpack down at my family's table. The others were there already save for Jane and Riley, who were in the lunch-line grabbing food that they wouldn't be eating to further the illusion that we were humans. It was tiring sometimes.

"Calm down, Bella," Jasper said, sending me a calming wave. "What are you so nervous about?"

I sat down and buried my face in my arms, soaking in Jasper's calming waves.

I sighed. "I want to talk with Alice and ask her what I've been meaning to ask her since I got back home from visiting the Denalis," I replied. "When I tried to yesterday she ended up cutting herself and that turned into a mess. I need to ask her now, though, because I can't wait any longer and I need to trust that it won't blow up in my face if I do."

"What exactly is this question?" Victoria inquired. "It must be important."

I looked up at her. "She knew that I was in Denali specifically when I had simply told her I was going to Alaska. I never gave her the exact location, but she knew it somehow. Not only that, but there have been so many other things about her. Did I mention that she tried to kiss me when we first started talking that first day of school?"

My siblings' eyes widened. I heard Jane growl quietly from where she was standing.

"You serious?" Emmett asked.

I nodded. "Yes, I'm pretty damn sure. Aside from that, it's been little things. I guess it's because of what happened all those years ago when I saved her life from _Edward_—"

"Hold it!" Rosalie shouted. "What the hell is this about you saving her life? From _Edward_?"

Riley and Jane had finally sat down. "You never mentioned this," Riley said quietly.

I looked away. "I kept it to myself because I'd exposed myself in order to save her. She was just a little kid then and that bastard was going to kill her. I had to save her. I didn't think about it at the time but I already felt a strong need to be near her then. Like I knew deep down that she was my mate, but I had other things on my mind. It was a couple years back, but I think she knows."

"Dude, of course she knows," Emmett chuckled. "I mean, you look the same from back then since it wasn't that long ago. I'm amazed she hasn't said anything about it sooner."

"I've felt a lot of uncertainty from her," Jasper said. "A range of other emotions too, some of which never made sense to me. I've noticed that there's a lot about this girl that I can't quite understand because her emotions are so odd. They change constantly, especially whenever you're near her, Bella. There's definitely something up with her, I've felt it."

"I thought as much," I murmured.

Jane huffed. "I don't like it. This makes me distrust her even more."

"Jane, she's Bella's soul-mate," Riley pointed out. "We must accept that fact."

"I guess so," she grumbled. "Doesn't mean I have to like her."

I sighed and looked over my shoulder. There was still no sign of her in the cafeteria. First she was late to school and now she was late to showing up? Was she avoiding me or something?

"Hey, isn't that Alice out there?" Emmett asked.

I whipped my head around and looked in the direction he was facing in; outside. And there she was, standing outside near her car with her cell phone in her ear, talking. Her expression was one of anger as she spoke into her phone and I wondered what was wrong.

"I would go out there," Rosalie suggested. "She looks pissed."

I nodded and stood as Alice started walking away from her car, away from the school.

"I'll be right back," I said quietly before I scooted my chair in and walked outside of the cafeteria, my mind swarming with worry at what was going on with Alice. Sure, she could just be on the phone, talking to her parents about some stupid thing her parents were going on about, but I felt like there was a serious reason for it deep in my stomach. My instincts, I guess.

I could hear Alice speaking furiously into her phone as I walked outside. She was further away from where she had been now, pacing back and forth.

"Damn it Cynthia, I told you to tell him "no"," Alice cursed. "I don't care what Father said, you should have just sent him away and told him to come back this weekend."

I didn't want to eavesdrop on her conversation as I slowly walked in her direction, so I did the best that I could to not listen to her. It was hard not to, though, due to vampire super hearing. I bit my lip as I got closer and Alice got louder.

"Stop that!" she shouted. "Why do you do this to me? I'm your sister! No, I do not think that about you, but you're pissing me off right now. No, no, just stop. Look, Cynthia, please, I'm begging you to tell him to keep away and please don't tell Mother and Father."

My ears pricked up slightly and I was getting the gist of what she was talking about. She was speaking with her sister and I had a funny feeling that James fool was the cause of the discussion, which made me irritated. He was really pushing my buttons and I wanted to smack him upside the face to tell him to go be a freak somewhere else.

"Fine, fine," Alice muttered. "Goodbye."

She closed her cell-phone before huffing loudly and throwing her hands into the air in agitation. I felt bad for her and increased my speed, but kept it down since there could be humans still watching me. My ears picked up the sound of a car coming down the road as Alice turned and saw me standing a few feet away from her. She smiled and waved at me, but as she did her phone flew from her hand and landed behind her in the road.

"Shit!" she cursed. I frowned as the clouds parted in the sky and I watched the sun starting to shine through, which made me curse in my head. I had to make this quick or else I'd end up being exposed. That also meant that we'd have to leave school early. Damn it.

"Alice!" I called, trying to urge her back.

"Hang on," she called back as she ran over to her phone.

I watched her pick it up and sigh before stuffing it into her pocket. She started to turn back around, but out of nowhere I watched her trip and fall roughly on the ground with a loud thud. I heard her yelp in pain and rushed forward as she slowly stood up. As I neared her, I could already smell blood and felt my throat tighten.

_No. Fight this. Fight the monster and the burn, I've already fed, I don't need blood._

That burn vanished when I saw the car that I'd heard suddenly speeding into view. Seeing the car heading toward Alice, whose head turned in fear at the sight, I was suddenly brought back to that scene years ago when Alice was a young child and he was driving a car directly at her. If I had had a heart, it would have stopped as everything around me slowed down.

It was like something out of a movie, just like it had been years back. I could hear Alice's breath hitch and her heartbeat pick up, the car moving just a bit slower, its tinted windows blocking me from seeing who the driver was. I stood still for a moment, watching it unfold before me. Then I snapped and did the only thing that I could; I sped forward.

I moved as fast as I could and in split seconds I was there, curling my arms around Alice as the car was milliseconds away from me. I took one giant step forward and felt the speeding object brush against my back as I pulled my other leg up. Then the car screeched by and swerved several times before slamming into a nearby tree.

The crash snapped me out of the odd, slowed down world and everything was suddenly moving as it should. It didn't take long for me to see the effects of my exposure to the sunlight as I let out a very long exhale, unable to fathom what had just taken place. I heard a noise like a gasp and immediately remembered; Alice.

I looked down to see her staring up at me, her crystal blue eyes shining as she smiled brilliantly at me, mirroring the same scene from all those years ago.

"I knew you were my angel," she breathed. Then she fainted, leaving me dead quiet.

**A/N: *insert a very loud FINALLY!* Yes, I know, it only took twenty chapters. But hey, I thought it was worth it in the end. And do I spy an actual gift for Bella? I dunno, you will have to decide amongst yourselves what you think on that subject. I do so enjoy teasing you, though. I'm evil, I know, but you all love my stories, so you can't complain. And if you do complain I'll just ignore it. :P Kidding. Well, not really, but still.**

**At any rate, the next chapter will take a bit of time, but you can expect to get the answers Bella's been wanting for a while now. Hope ya'll enjoyed.**

**One final note, a shout out to my dear friend lemonelephant who is writing the wonderful Moondance story. Go and read it, if you please. It's very good.**

**Would you all like to see the prologue of a new story I'm cooking up? This would be the "I post to show, but it wouldn't be the focus until later" story that I was referring to before.**


	21. Secrets

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight saga, I merely own my own characters and ideas. I am simply borrowing the Twilight characters.**

**Secrets**

I stood completely still with Alice lying in my arms, speechless. She knew. She really knew. Just hearing the words from her mouth to confirm it lifted a great weight off of my shoulders, though at the same time, I had no idea what to do now. Then I suddenly caught the smell of blood and remembered what in the hell had just happened. First off, I needed to get out of the sun.

Quickly I bounded from the spot I was standing in to the shade of a nearby tree. I listened closely to Alice's heartbeat and was thankful when I found that it was still beating at a normal pace. All I had to do now was get her to the hospital. Oh, and the driver of the car…

"Bella!"

I looked up and saw my siblings, a bunch of students and a few teachers rushing towards me, my siblings being the ones to reach me first. Several teachers rushed over to the car while one called the hospital to send an ambulance over, which I was thought was a good idea, though I could've just taken Alice to the hospital myself. Oh well.

"What the hell happened?" Rosalie asked. I noticed Jane, Victoria, Jasper and Emmett were keeping away a swarm of other students with glares and Jasper's gift.

"I had to—"

"Miss Cullen!" the principal shouted as he came over to me, a few teachers behind him. "What on Earth is going on here? What happened and why is Miss Brandon bleeding? Are you…is that a crashed car? What in the hell happened?"

I heard a few gasps and blanched slightly. I hated being on the spot.

Jasper did the best he could to keep most of the people away from me with his gift, using it to have them keep the students back instead, but that wasn't enough to stop them fully. I explained as best as I could and formed a clever lie about what had happened.

"Alice got a call from her parents, so she went outside because the cafeteria was too noisy," I started, which was technically half true. "I was outside getting something from my sister's car when I saw her shouting because she couldn't get enough reception."

The principal furrowed his brow, but he motioned for me to continue. I did so hurriedly because of the scent of blood and because I wanted them gone.

"She moved a little closer to the road in order to get better reception. Once she'd finished talking, she tripped and fell, so I rushed over to see if she was okay. That was when the car came and I pulled her away. Then the car crashed and then you all came out here, end of story."

My status as a Cullen, my skill in lying and an added boost from Jasper sealed the deal and everyone around me that had heard bought it instantly. My siblings knew that wasn't the full truth and I noticed that some of them had backed away, likely when they smelled Alice's blood, which made my throat burn and my body tense.

"You should be more careful," one of the teachers said. "You both could've been hurt worse."

"I don't want either of you to do this again," the principal chided. "Am I understood?"

"Yes sir," I muttered breathlessly.

They wanted to talk more to me, I did not. I wanted to keep my wits about me and not let the fact that I could still smell blood get to me. Thankfully, it wasn't long before an ambulance appeared.

"I'd like to go with her," I said softly, though my voice was still a little strained.

The principal thought about it, then nodded. "Of course, you should get some treatment for yourself as well, Miss Cullen. We'll send for another ambulance for the driver of the car since it looks like Miss Brandon needs medical attention as soon as possible. You're excused."

"Thank you sir," I said, bowing. I then walked over to the ambulance—I made sure to walk like a human and added a slight limp to my right leg for good measure until I reached the paramedics, who took Alice from my arms and placed her into the back of the ambulance.

"Would you like a stretcher?" a female asked me.

I shook my head. "No, I'd like to come with you, if you please. She's a friend." I made sure to add in my dazzling smile and sure enough, the woman sputtered and was dazed briefly.

"Er…okay," the paramedic replied once she'd managed to snap herself out of her daze.

I turned to look over my shoulder at my siblings and gave them an apologetic look. Rosalie gave me that "we'll talk about this later" look as I climbed into the back of the ambulance. It was at that point that I looked over curiously at the car that had crashed, wondering if the person inside the vehicle was alright. They'd been speeding, so it was partially their fault, but still.

That was when I saw the driver; James. He looked banged up, but he was conscious and hobbling a little as he crawled out from the passenger side of his vehicle, which was not the same vehicle that he'd been driving before. I hissed quietly under my breath until the back doors were shut and the ambulance drove off. I glanced down at Alice's unconscious form.

I could still smell a little blood, but the scent was weaker now. I didn't trust myself enough to breathe just yet, however, so I ceased breathing and covered my mouth with my hand while I began to focus on other things aside from the blood, namely Alice's words before she fainted.

She called me her angel.

I wasn't sure what to make of that. But then, considering the fact that I was glowing when the sunlight hit my skin, perhaps that would give off the appearance of an "angel". I felt incredibly flattered that she'd referred to me as such, regardless. In my eyes, she was the angel, though.

I felt the desire to touch her, but I pushed it away. I couldn't let myself take in too much of her scent now, so I would just have to wait. Eventually the ambulance came to a stop and the back doors opened up. The paramedics wheeled Alice away and I followed after them, refusing any attempts from the paramedics to get me into a stretcher. As if I needed one.

I allowed myself to breathe while I followed them, but my throat burned and I knew that I would need blood soon. I hoped that Carlisle would be the doctor assigned to Alice and low and behold, he was indeed. I had to admit, it was fairly amusing. It was probably because I was his daughter and they wanted to "keep him happy" since he was the best doctor in Forks.

Once Alice was situated in a bed of her own, the paramedics left and a few seconds later Carlisle glided in and smoothly wrapped an arm around me.

"Here," he whispered, handing me a decent sized vial of blood. "Drink."

I took it without question and guzzled it down, easing the burn and quenching my growing thirst while Carlisle walked over to Alice. I placed it on a nearby table with a sigh and leaned against the wall, allowing the event that had unfolded before me not too long ago to replay in the back of my mind as I clutched my face with my hands.

I remained that way for a while, allowing the silence in the room to relax me and the knowledge that Alice was still alive and that_ he_ wasn't the one responsible to further it. I could hear Carlisle moving around and didn't need to look to know that he was checking on her for injuries and whatever else it was he needed to do. The scent of blood was gone soon enough, thanks in part to the blood he'd given me and likely because he'd cleaned it up.

"What happened, Bella?" Carlisle's gentle voice reached my ears and I pulled my hands away to see him giving me a placid yet curious look.

I sighed. "Alice almost died," I replied. "I had to jump into the sun to save her again, only this time it wasn't from him. Afterwards she…said that she knew that I was "her angel", which confirmed that she knew I was the same person. I guess it's all starting to come together."

Carlisle nodded and placed his hand on my shoulder. "Are you alright?"

I nodded and relaxed into his fatherly embrace. "I am now. Thanks for the blood, by the way."

"Of course dear," he replied, hugging me for a moment before releasing me. "Your sister called and informed me that there had been an accident and that your mate was bleeding, so I snatched an extra vial of blood for you to drink and informed them of the situation."

"That explains how you were the one to end up being her doctor. Here I thought because I was your daughter and they knew that that they'd choose you to keep you "happy"."

He chuckled. "Well, that was another reason, I suppose. I appreciate their generosity, but really, I'm more than content with having this job in the first place. Saving lives is what makes me happiest along with seeing my family happy. Speaking of which…" His eyes moved to Alice.

"How is she?" I asked.

"She has a few scrapes from what looks like her falling, but otherwise she's fine," he informed me, his eyes meeting mine. "I've already cleaned her face up and opened the window up to help alleviate the scent of blood. Would you like the room to yourself so that you could speak with her when she awakens or would you rather go and return later?"

I thought about it and shook my head. "I'll stay here with her, if that's alright."

"Of course it is," he said, kissing my forehead. "In that case, I will leave you two alone. If she needs something or you'd like me to return, hit the buzzer near the door and I'll be back. If not, I will still need to speak with her myself, but I can wait until after you've both finished."

"I will, thank you," I said.

He smiled warmly at me before departing from the room, leaving Alice and I to ourselves. I sighed and went to sit down in the chair near her bed, casting a brief glance at her while she lay there peacefully asleep. I wondered how long she would stay sleeping, but decided not to dwell on it since I could and would wait until she woke up to talk with her.

That took much less time than I'd thought it would.

"Hey," greeted a soft voice that actually startled me.

I blinked and was surprised to see Alice looking at me, her crystal eyes shining as a small smile touched her lips. She sat up slowly, wincing once, then re-positioned herself so that she was facing me as she laid her head on the pillow.

"Hi," I said at last, licking my lips nervously.

Neither of us spoke following that for a few minutes. The room was silent as I ran a hand through my hair, trying to figure out what to say first. I sighed mentally and knew that I needed to make the first move here, so I just went with it.

"You remembered me," I said quietly, staring into Alice's beautiful eyes.

Alice's eyes lit up. "Yes. How could I not remember the beautiful woman with eyes like gold and skin that shone as if she'd just descended from Heaven? It may have been eleven years ago, but that's not the type of thing any sane human could forget. I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw you that day at school. It was like I was living in some kind of crazy dream."

Whatever tenseness I'd felt vanished when she'd said this. Her eyes were swimming with warmth, sincerity and something more. I relaxed into the chair and scooted myself as close to her bed as I could, my mind racing with things to say and ask.

"Thank you," Alice whispered. "For saving my life."

I stared into her eyes and smiled a little. "You're welcome, Alice."

She smiled rather brilliantly at me as she sat up more. I didn't say anything as I reached over and propped the pillows up so that she could be sitting upright, which made her smile even more.

"How do you feel?" I asked.

"Elated," she replied. "I've been waiting for this moment for a long time now, the moment where we would finally be able to talk to each other. I mean, we've talked before, but I'm glad that we can finally be open with each other. To be honest, I was wondering if you were ever going to bring it up, but you never did." She paused and frowned. "Why didn't you?"

I bit my lip. "I was afraid to. I wasn't sure how you would react if I did. I mean, I knew that you knew about it because of the way you acted, but I…"

"You didn't have to be nervous, silly Bella," Alice giggled. "I was trying to make it obvious that I knew so that you would open up to me. I would've mentioned it sooner, but each time I tried to I had my chance taken away from me." My eyes widened at her comments and I felt my jaw drop open as Alice giggled again, clearly amused by my reaction.

"Say what now?" I sputtered. "You were doing all of those things on purpose to get me to ask?"

Alice gave me a sheepish grin. "Pretty much, but you never took the hint."

"I never…what the hell was I supposed to think? I can't read minds!" I shouted.

"Sorry," Alice murmured, her eyes smoldering apologetically. "I'm just incredibly impatient and I was getting tired of waiting to have that chance where we could be honest with each other because I…well…I really wanted that moment to happen. So I kinda improvised—"

"Hold on!" I cut her off, holding up a hand. "You mean to tell me that you were trying to get me to talk to you about what happened while I was trying to do the same thing? Seriously?" I groaned and smacked my forehead with both of my palms, wishing Jasper were here. "And what do you mean exactly by "improvised"?"

"It's hard to explain…" Alice said, becoming nervous.

I furrowed my brow. "Seeing as how we're being honest with each other, I think that it's only fair that you give me an answer. Alice, you've clearly known a lot more than what you've let on and I've seen it. The look in your eyes, the fact that you knew what happened to that creepy punk's car, not to mention you knowing that I was in Denali when I never gave you the specific location…Alice, please, how do you know all of this?"

Alice looked away from me and instead looked down at the bed. She looked troubled as she chewed on her bottom lip and crossed her arms, almost as if she were hugging her body to try and comfort herself while she thought. I felt a little guilt for snapping at her the way I had and ran my hand through my hair again out of habit, wanting to apologize.

I held it in, though. I'd apologize after.

"This…this is weird for me to admit," Alice said at last, not looking at me. "I can see the future."

I blinked several times. "I…I'm sorry, say that again?"

She looked at me, a glint in her eyes. "I can see the future, Bella."

I stared at her in silence. She can see the future. Whoa. "Really?" I croaked out. That was all I could manage to say as the idea that she could see the future was absorbed into my mind. A part of my brain was telling me that there was no way that was possible, but the fact that I was a vampire disproved that fact in a millisecond and I was left with the reality of it.

She could see the fucking _future_.

Alice smiled softly. "Yes, really. It's probably not the way you would think. I can…dream of the future, I suppose you could say. I see things that happen when I sleep and sometimes when I'm awake and daydreaming. In truth, most of the time those things happen. Like one night, I had a dream of you being in the woods, so I snuck out there, hoping to catch a glimpse of you…"

"So_ that's_ why you were there," I breathed.

Alice's eyes grew. "You_ were_ there? Holy shit, I thought I was going crazy when I didn't see you there that night, but then I saw you at school, so I was incredibly confused." She shook her head and sighed. "How did you know I was there? I never saw you."

I knew that that was going to come up eventually. There was no way in hiding it anymore since I'd exposed myself twice to her already.

I sighed. "I'm guessing you've realized now that I'm…not human."

"Yes," she replied, nodding. "I knew that because there was no way in hell a normal human could move as fast as you, look as beautiful as you and shine in the sun like you did. I thought that you were an angel from God when I was younger. I still do."

I couldn't suppress a dry chuckle. "As flattering as that is Alice, I'm a lot of things, but an angel sadly isn't one of them."

"I think you are regardless," Alice stated firmly. "I don't care what you really are, you've saved my life twice now and that says a lot about you, Bella. I would still like to know, though, what you really are, but that's only if you're willing to tell me."

"Have you not seen it?" I inquired, lifting an eyebrow.

Alice's lips twitched into a smirk. "I haven't, no."

I pursed my lips for a moment. _She deserves to know,_ I told myself. _She's my mate and she'll find out one way or the other in the end. It's only right._

"Tell me something, Alice," I began. "You've noticed some other things about me, haven't you? Like how my skin is colder than a normal human being's, how my family and I are never around whenever the sun is out, how the other day when you cut yourself, your blood bothered me?"

Alice furrowed her brow in thought. "Well, yes, actually, I…" Her jaw dropped open as the realization hit her. "No way." She looked at me. "You're a…?"

"Vampire," I replied.

"No way," she repeated, astonished.

I smiled wryly at her reaction. "I'm afraid so. I would think that this would seem a bit more believable since you can see the future, no?"

Alice stared at me and shook her head in disbelief. "There's no way you're a vampire, Bella. I know that being a psychic is weird, but it's not unnatural for certain people. But…but being a _vampire_? That's just crazy! I'm sorry, I can't believe that. There's just no way…"

I pursed my lips again as I watched her eyes shine with uncertainty. This wasn't the reaction I was hoping for, but I guess it was better than the reaction that I'd initially feared either. It was clear that she didn't believe me. Hell, if I was a human and someone told me they were a vampire, if I didn't know, I wouldn't believe them either.

"Alice, I have no reason to lie to you," I stated softly.

"I know that, but I…" She placed her face in her palms and sighed. "Prove it."

I frowned. "You want me to prove what I am to you?" I asked. "Do you not trust me?"

Pain flashed in her eyes. "Bella, that's not it at all. I'd just like some proof, so that I know for certain that you really are a _vampire_. You have to understand, this isn't exactly a normal thing to say to someone, like talking about the weather. No matter how much I like you, I need to know one hundred percent that I'm not going crazy and that you really are what you say you are."

I leaned into the chair and pondered it. She wanted me to prove it to her, eh? I could do that.

"Alright," I replied. "I'll prove it to you."

I stood up and decided that the easiest way to show her was speed. So I ran to the door, then to the opposite side of her bed, then back to where my seat was at vampire speed. Alice whipped her head around, her jaw slacking as she seemed utterly astonished by what she'd just seen.

"Whoa," she breathed.

I smirked. I wasn't done yet.

I quickly looked around the room to make sure that there were no cameras watching—I should've done that beforehand, but with my speed, I figured that if there were, they'd simply think it was a bug of some kind. Seeing that there were no cameras, I knelt down next to the bed and placed both of my hands under it. Without giving Alice a chance to steady herself, I lifted the bed up over my head, eliciting a high pitched yelp from her.

"Holy shit!" she squeaked.

My smile grew as I gently set the bed back down. I still wasn't done quite yet as my eyes looked around for something sharp…ah! I spotted a scalpel lying a few feet away and walked over to grab it before walking back to the bed. Alice's eyes bulged.

"Watch," I said, taking the scalpel into my left hand. I opened the palm of my right hand and, after making sure Alice was watching, I jabbed the scalpel into my palm. Alice actually screamed out a brief "no" before cupping her mouth shut when the scalpel broke into tiny pieces from the impact with my super strong skin.

I speedily picked the pieces up and crushed them with my left hand, then threw them away.

"Are you satisfied now?" I asked, arching an eyebrow.

Alice blinked several times, her face blank as she absorbed what she'd just seen. I felt rather proud that I'd reduced her to such a state when she suddenly broke out the widest grin I'd ever seen on her face, one that made my smile drop and my brows knit together questioningly. Her eyes, beautiful as they were, had a glint in them as she grinned.

"I am satisfied, thank you," she said, eyes alight. "I have to admit, I didn't think I'd get you to do that for me, but I'm rather pleased with the turnout."

"Say what now?" I asked.

Her smile fell a tiny bit. "I, uh, I did know that you were a vampire. I had a dream about it when you went to Denali to visit your family. I think I've known since before that, even. I wanted to see for myself, though, to have you tell me and show me. I wanted to see how you'd go about proving to me that you were a vampire. It's pretty damn cool, if I do say so myself."

My jaw was the one dropping now. "Wait, you lied to me just to get me to show you?"

Alice's face softened. "I didn't mean it as a hurtful lie. It was a little fib to get you to fess up to me about being a vampire. I'm impatient and I was getting tired of waiting for you to say it, so I did what I could to help speed you along. Sorry, but it worked out in the end."

"You…you…" I threw my hands into the air. "You little demon! You played me!"

She shrugged. "You stink at taking initiative, I can't help it. I guess it's partially my fault since I really do have poor patience, but still! I hate waiting for things that I already know, so…"

I let out a low rumbling snarl that cut her off and made her jump a little. I leaned in close to her, close enough to where my lips were next to her ear. I let out an icy breath and watched as she shivered as it caressed her face. I let out another growl and listened as her heartbeat picked up in pace and she looked at me, quivering nervously. This was not acting, either.

"You think it's funny to, do you?" I asked in a low voice. "You think that tricking me and making me feel bad is fun? That I never once didn't think about opening up to you when our eyes met that day in the cafeteria, that it didn't bother me to know all of this but not know how to go about talking to you about it? You think manipulating me is fun?"

I hissed into her ear, making her shudder again. "It. Is. _Not_. Funny." I allowed my lips to brush against her ear, making sure that my eyes bored into hers with an emotionless glare. "I don't appreciate it one bit, Mary Alice Brandon. You do not do that, especially to a vampire. Do I make myself clear, little human?"

Alice nodded. "Y-y-yes," she stammered. "I'm s-sorry, Bella. I swear."

I pulled my head away and licked my lips. "I don't believe you." I then lunged forward, stopping directly at Alice's throat. She cringed and shut her eyes and I smiled before lightly kissing the base of her throat. I then pulled away and sat back in my chair, smiling smugly at the terrified human as she slowly realized what had just happened.

"Gotcha," I said.

The look on Alice's face was utterly priceless.

"You…" She couldn't even form a sentence as she stared at me.

I smirked. "It stinks being on the receiving end, doesn't it, Alice?"

Alice gnawed on her bottom lip. "I don't believe you. Threatening me is supposed to be considered a good form of payback?"

I shrugged. "If you can't take it, then don't bother dishing it out. I think we're even now."

Alice glared at me, her crystal blue eyes piercing through me. I glared right back at her and elicited the same effect. We held our glares for several minutes, neither of us speaking or backing down. I'd learned from Rosalie how to keep a glare going long enough to make most humans shrink into themselves, but Alice wasn't giving up. That was a good sign.

Eventually Alice faltered and her glare dropped, her face becoming placid as she sighed and stared sadly at her bed.

"I'm sorry," Alice murmured. "You had a right to do that. I deserved it for being an ass and doing that to you and I apologize sincerely for it. It was wrong of me. I let my own selfishness get the better of me and I see now that this was as hard for you as it was for me."

Her eyes bored into mine with sincerity and my face softened. "I apologize for frightening you like that too."

"Truce?" she asked, extending her hand.

I smiled and shook it. "Deal," I replied. "No more lying though, okay? There's a lot about you that I want to know and I really want you to be honest with me, Alice. I'll be honest with you, I swear that I will, but I'd like the same."

"I will be honest," Alice said as she pulled her hand away. "I promise you."

"Good. Thank you," I sighed. "I swear, you are quite the pain in the ass."

Alice smiled at that. "It's one of the more endearing qualities that I have alongside the impatience and the fact that I can see the future in my sleep. It's quite a nice package deal, I think, because it matches well with my natural cockiness and ability, but it's all balanced out by my sweet, caring and affectionate persona."

I giggled a little and her smile grew. "You're a weird little human, you know that?"

"Hey, I got you to laugh," she pointed out. "And for the record, I am not "little". I am 5'2 and a half inches tall, thank you, which is fairly normal for a young lady. Just because you and your sisters are taller than I am doesn't mean jack squat, so don't get all high and mighty on me about my being "little", ya hear me?" She huffed to further her point and I burst into laughter.

"Holy crap," I laughed. "You are definitely something else, Alice."

"I'll take that as a compliment," she giggled. "I like this. I like having the chance to talk with you without there being any restraints. Before this we had school and that horrid awkwardness between us because we each knew things that we were both too scared to bring up. Now that everything is out in the open, it's much easier to talk with you."

"I agree," I nodded. "I've been aching for a chance to talk with my mate and I'm glad to finally have that chance, though I do wish the circumstances were better than what they are. Still, you're alive and unharmed, so I'm more than happy, especially now that my secret's out."

Alice looked at me with a curious expression on her face. For once, she didn't seem to know what to say and I wondered why that was. That was when I caught my mistake and mentally smacked myself several times over for saying that out loud.

"Bella…you called me your mate."

I blanched. "Uh..." Shit.

"What does that mean?"

**A/N: To be honest, I actually enjoyed writing this chapter. Having Alice get Bella and Bella get her back. Very amusing to think up and write out. And hey, at least the story is getting somewhere now that everything is out in the open. Neither girl has gone in depth about their respective secrets quite yet, mind you. There's more to share, especially on Alice's side, but you will all have to wait for that to come out.**

**Oh, and to those of you thinking Bella's gift (she had a gift and she didn't even know it!) is time manipulation, I'm afraid not. More on that in the future.**

**Last note, I'm actually going to take a break for a little bit. School is important and I'd like to focus on trying to write my book (which, if all else fails, would be an original version of Blood Solstice). Don't worry, I won't be on break for too long and I will still work on Broken Aurora, I simply won't update for a bit. I may post that prologue, but I'm not one hundred percent certain at this point in time. We'll see.**

**So I apologize, but hopefully you can understand. I may surprise you, you never know. :P**


	22. Discussion Time

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight saga or any of the Twilight characters. I own only my own characters and my own ideas.**

**Discussion Time**

"Well did you?" Alice asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest and lifting an eyebrow. She obviously already knew the answer to that question, but she wanted to hear the words from my mouth, it seemed. Stinking human and her stinking power to see the future, I bet she knew all about this from before somehow. Either that, or she enjoyed ordering me around.

Come to think of it, it was probably the latter. I wasn't about to become whipped to a human girl regardless of how good looking she was. Hell no. I was not going to become her "Emmett". Still, I did need to reply. I'd make her think that she held the cards for the time being. For now.

"Please, Bella? Tell me?" Alice said, pouting.

I bit my lip. "Yes, I did," I admitted, rubbing the back of my neck sheepishly. I couldn't really lie to her now. There was no point seeing as how she could see the future, which I still thought was crazy for a human to do. I couldn't believe that I'd let that slip so easily. I'd planned on bringing it up, yes, but I'd wanted to ease into the conversation gradually, not blurt it out at random.

Alice's eyes seemed to sparkle as she bored into mine. "What does that mean, exactly?"

"You should know," I replied. "You seem to know everything else I'm going to say or do."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't be like that, Bella," she whined. "I know I kinda irked you earlier and I apologized for it. Despite how I might act, I honestly don't know everything that's going to happen. I had no idea that you were going to call me your "mate", but now that you have, I have to admit that I'm a little interested in hearing more about it."

"Alright, alright," I held my hands up. "I didn't want to bring it up like this. I wanted to try and ease it into the conversation so that you'd be more comfortable when I eventually brought it up, but I guess that plan's been shot to hell, so I suppose I can't hide it anymore."

She nodded. "Go on," she urged, her tone of voice gentle. Her eyes glistened with intensity at my words, which showed how much they meant for her to hear.

I licked my lips. "Well, the thing is…" I stopped and peered over my shoulder as the door opened and Carlisle walked in, staring down at a clipboard in his hands. He looked up upon entering and flashed me a smile before walking up the bed.

"Hello there Miss Brandon," Carlisle greeted kindly.

Alice looked at him attentively. "Hello Dr. Cullen," she replied, smiling politely at him.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, cocking his head to the side. He was in doctor mode right now, but I could tell by the faint glint in his eyes that he knew something was up. Like Esme, he had his own father's intuition when it came to me. The man knew me well, after all.

Her eyes flashed briefly to me, a motion that did not go unseen. "I feel fine," she replied, letting out a quiet sigh. "I was just speaking with your daughter here about what we've been hiding from each other because we didn't know how to bring it up before."

Carlisle lifted an eyebrow and glanced at me. I shrugged sheepishly.

"Well, so long as you're doing well, then I'm happy," Carlisle smiled at her. He then glanced down at his clipboard once more before stuffing it under his arm. "Be that as it may, I would like to keep you here overnight for observation. Is that alright with you?"

I rolled my eyes at my father's "doctor routine". I knew he had to do it, but still. Of course, it wasn't as bad as when he had to act like that with my siblings and I. There had been several occasions where we'd been "hospitalized" and we had to play our roles to make it realistic. I loathed those moments, so I kept myself from being too reckless when in public more.

Alice giggled. "If you really think I should, then I will."

"I know, you'd probably like to go home," he chuckled. "It's hospital rules, I'm afraid."

"Like you haven't bent the rules before," I snorted quietly. Out of the corner of my eye I watched as Carlisle's lips twitched. I smiled inwardly at the mirth hidden in his eyes since we both knew that he was doing this purposefully to give me more time to spend with her. I was grateful for it and I would definitely make it up to him in the future.

"I understand," Alice said sweetly. "Is it alright if Bella were to stay here?"

"That would be up to her," he replied, glancing at me.

I shrugged. "I_ suppose _I can spare more time," I said dramatically. I ignored Alice when she stuck her tongue out at me and turned to Carlisle, who was alight with curiosity and amusement at what was going on. "I'll see you later then, Carlisle?"

He nodded. "Yes. Don't forget, if you need me, you know how to reach me."

With that, he smiled once at each of us before departing the room. Once he was gone, Alice burst into a fit of laughter and I couldn't help but smile and listen. Her laughter was musical like a vampire's, yet even more beautiful and soothing to listen to. It was like tinkling bells, the sweet ones that were harmonious, not the loud, obnoxious ones.

"That was hilarious!" she guffawed, nearly falling out of her bed. Then I started laughing. "That wasn't funny, shut up!" She huffed and crossed her arms, sticking her bottom lip out in a fairly cute looking pout that made me laugh harder.

"On the contrary, I think it's quite entertaining," I laughed, eventually managing to quell my laughter. I couldn't help but smile though, Alice was exuberating with cuteness and beauty at the same time and I couldn't help admiring that. However, I knew that the serious conversation was right around the corner, so I sobered up. Alice eventually did so as well.

"I guess that leaves us to where we left off at," Alice said.

I sighed. "I guess it does."

"Bella, please," Alice whispered, reaching her hand out to touch my wrist. "I want to know if this connection I feel to you is what I think it is."

My eyes widened. "You've felt the pull too?"

"God yes," she breathed. "Bella, I've had dreams about you each and every night of my life for the past eleven years, ever since the day you saved me. I couldn't get you out of my head from that point on and I longed to see you again. I pined for you constantly. I drew pictures, wrote stories, daydreamed…you name it, you were always in my thoughts."

I turned my wrist over and allowed her hand to slide into mine. Her warm skin felt so strange touching mine, but I liked the sensation it caused. Alice gave me a warm smile and wrapped her fingers around my palm, shuddering only once but apparently enjoying the coldness.

"You were my guardian angel, _are_ my guardian angel," she whispered. "I wanted so badly to see you again, Bella. As I got older, the need grew and my dreams became more vivid. To be honest, I think that some of my dreams were actually visions, as if I were being allowed to see you from afar without being near you. They were enough, but I always pined for you."

"Alice…" I allowed my hand to give hers a gentle squeeze, though I made sure to measure my strength so as to not hurt her. "I had no idea. When I first saw you, I felt a strong pull to stay with you, but I was so flustered over exposing myself, I fled. I got scared. To be honest, I had this feeling inside of me from that moment on. I never understood it, but I knew it was there."

"So my being your mate essentially means what?" she asked.

"That you are my soulmate," I replied, staring into her eyes. "That became clear the moment I saved your life. I didn't see it until I was told it outright and even then, I denied it at first. I didn't think that a human could be my mate, but I see that I was wrong. I can't escape the way I feel about you, Alice. And to be honest, I don't really want to escape it either."

"Soulmates," she repeated the word to herself, looking away from me while she did. "It's weird but it feels right." She smiled brightly at me and moved over in her bed. "Would you…would you be willing to lay with me for a little while?"

I felt my jaw drop. She wanted me to lie down with her? If I'd had a working heart, mine would've been racing with excitement at the prospect. I nodded and sat down on her bed to slip out of my shoes before I shuffled in next to her. I turned my head so that I could look at her and found myself getting lost in her crystal blue eyes.

_Oh my God, I'm next to Alice, finally!_ I squealed inside of my head. Holy crap, I actually _squealed_ in my head. But then hey, I didn't have to hide what I was from my soulmate anymore and now I could finally begin a relationship with her. So I think I had a right to be a little overjoyed with how things had turned out, regardless of the fact that Alice almost got killed.

"You look tense," Alice said, cracking a smile. "Are you nervous because you're lying next to a wonderful, beautiful girl like me?"

_So now I get to see the real Alice too, huh? Nice_. "To be honest, yeah, a little," I admitted. "I've never really been this close to a human before, especially considering my, uh, control issues. I don't know how long I can stay—"

Alice shushed me by placing her finger to my lips. "Stop." Her voice was gentle, yet firm.

"Alice…"

"Bella, I don't want you to stress out about this," Alice whispered. "I don't know what it's like to be a vampire, so I can't speak from experience. What I do know is that I want you to be comfortable and I want us to take our time with where we take our relationship. So please, don't sweat the small stuff. We'll work it out in the end, I have faith."

I nodded. "Alright. Oh, but vampires can't sweat, so you're aware," I informed her.

"Smartass," she muttered.

"Get used to it, sweet-cakes," I cooed, tapping her nose. "I have to get used to the fact that you're clearly much more confident than what I first thought."

Alice huffed and gave me a sideways glare. "What's that supposed to mean? Did you think I was going to be shy, quiet and wimpy?

I giggled. "To be honest, I did kinda think you'd be much shyer considering how you acted that first day at school. You were all cute and stuttering, so I thought that maybe that was the way you acted, but then you became all confident the next day. For a while, I thought that maybe you had a dual personality or something like that."

Her eyebrows knitted together as her glare deepened into a scowl. I couldn't help giggling even more at how insanely adorable she looked despite her obvious irritation.

"I do not have a dual personality," she hissed. "And I am not some shy little wimp! Just because I stuttered once—"

"More than once," I interjected, smiling sheepishly at her when she crossed her arms.

"Shut up! That was accidental!" she huffed.

Alice turned away and stuck her nose in the air petulantly. So damn _cute_. Part of me wanted to pull her close to me and hug her, but the other, more dominant part…

"Are you sure?" I asked, lifting an eyebrow. "Maybe you were stuttering because you were taken aback at how beautiful _I_ am." I waited as Alice didn't move, wondering how she would react. I caught sight of her lips twitching and knew almost instantly that she was caving. So I decided to further that and leaned in closer so that my lips were near her ear.

"I am, after all, your _beautiful_ angel," I whispered, allowing my breath to lightly caress her ear. She shuddered.

After a moment, Alice turned back around. Our faces were closer now, inches apart. Her eyes darted to my lips and mine to hers. The urge to kiss her was there. It had been there ever since I'd seen her that day at school, but I hadn't acknowledged it at the time.

Now, though, was a different story entirely. I wanted to kiss her. Badly.

"Bella," Alice breathed, staring into my eyes.

I licked my lips nervously. "I, uh…" Damn it, why did my nerves always get the best of me? I was a vampire for God's sake; I shouldn't need to worry about my stinking nerves!

"It's okay," Alice murmured, touching my shoulder. "There's no rush."

I sighed. "Actually, have we officially both agreed to be in a relationship yet?"

She rolled her eyes. "_Please_, Bella. Do we really need to make it official? You already told me that I'm your soulmate, I think that makes it official right there without either of us having to ask each other to be the other's girlfriend."

"I know," I replied. "But still, I am a bit traditional with some things."

I re-situated myself so that I was sitting on my knees, gazing down at the beautiful girl before me; my mate, my forever, my Alice. I smiled softly at her and extended my left hand. She rolled her eyes, but took my hand and laced her fingers around mine.

"Alice Brandon, will you be my lover?" I asked, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Yes," she replied. She pulled my hand up and kissed my knuckles. "I would love to be your girlfriend and soulmate, Miss Cullen."

I lifted up a finger. "There is one condition, though."

"What's that?"

"Promise me you'll be a bit more careful," I said. "I don't want you to accidentally get yourself into dangerous situations like what happened today with the car. To be honest, I don't even know how I managed to save you. I'm just thankful I did."

Alice's face fell and she pulled her hand away, biting her lip. "Uh, yeah, about that…"

"What?"

She looked at me sheepishly. "I…kinda…did that on purpose…"

My smile dropped. "Say what now?"

"Yeah…" She rubbed the back of her neck. "I saw what was going to happen in a dream I had, so I figured that I would, you know, play it out. I could've avoided it, I know that, but I wanted you to save me like you did when I was a kid. I wanted to be able to look at you when you were in the sun again. So I did what I did, knowing what would happen."

"You WHAT?" I shouted, my voice rising three octaves. "You seriously _threw_ yourself in harm's way because you_ thought_ that I would save you? Are you out of your fucking mind?"

Alice held her hands up defensively. "Hey, I knew that you'd save me. I saw it in my dream and I've never been wrong before, remember?"

"I don't give a shit!" I growled. "Alice, you scared me half to death with that little stunt! What would have happened if you'd been _wrong_? You'd be _dead_ now, that's what! Do you have any idea what that would've done to me if you'd died?"

I shook my head, exasperated and angry in the same. The nerve of her, doing that on purpose just so that I'd save her from harm's way and expose myself. I get that she wanted to confirm who I was, but there were plenty of other ways than throwing herself in front of a damned car.

I clenched and unclenched my hands several times, letting out a shaky breath. Alice was staring at me apologetically, remorse etched into her face. I couldn't stay angry at her for too long, I knew, but I didn't want her to do that kind of thing ever again. I couldn't bear to lose her if something was to go wrong and her visions ended up being false.

"I'm sorry," Alice whispered.

"It's okay," I sighed. "Just…please, promise me you won't do that again."

She shrugged. "I won't, I promise. I couldn't help myself. I wanted to move your ass in gear so that we would be able to skip over the awkward stuff too, after all."

I glared at her. "Give me a break, Alice. I didn't—"

My words were stolen away from me in an instant when Alice cupped my cheeks and yanked me forward to her, connecting our lips. I gasped at the electric sensation that pulsated through me when we kissed. Her lips tasted better than anything in the world, better than Rosalie's, better than blood…it was like kissing Heaven itself.

The kiss lasted for what felt like decades. When Alice pulled away, she gasped to get air, but she was beaming. I stared, blank faced by what had just happened. The sensations still remained even after her lips departed mine.

"Whoa," we said in unison.

I stared into her eyes and shook my head. _Fuck it_.

I lunged forward and pressed my lips to hers, not caring anymore. If my inner beast wanted out to get her blood, I'd fight the damn thing off. I wanted this. I needed this. And for all I knew, she wanted this too.

Alice moaned as I moved my lips against hers, moaning myself at how amazing they tasted. Her lips were warm, soft and tasted like rich, sweet chocolate, making my mouth water. I utilized the kissing techniques that I'd learned in Alaska as I gently pressed Alice down, crawling on top of her. Our bodies fit perfectly as we wrapped our arms around the other, Alice burying her fingers in my hair, mine curling around her back.

I broke away after a few minutes, remembering that Alice needed to breathe, unlike me.

She gasped quietly and took in several breaths. I could hear her heart thundering in her chest and tried to ignore the subconscious urge I was beginning to get. Her body was coated in a light coat of sweat by now, furthering her already amazing scent. I ignored it, though. I wasn't going to let my own instincts ruin what was happening.

Once she'd gotten her breath back, Alice kissed me again. She tasted so amazing, I couldn't refuse kissing her. So we continued for several minutes, tenderly kissing each other and cuddling in the hospital bed. I didn't really think much about the fact that a nurse or doctor could come in at any given moment, but right now, that was the furthest thing on my mind.

Eventually I pulled away from her and rolled to the side. I let out a shaky breath as Alice caught hers once again. I had also stopped because of her heartbeat, which was growing too much for me to handle while being near her.

I contemplated exiting the room for a while to catch some air. I knew it was a terrible thing to think, but I wanted to make sure I went about this carefully and not selfishly. Alice, however, stopped me by curling into my body and nuzzling into my neck.

There was no way in hell I could leave her now.

"That was fucking awesome," Alice breathed, looking up at me and smiling. "My dreams couldn't compare to the real thing. Just…damn."

I chuckled breathily. "I have to agree with that statement." I curled my arms around her and steadied myself as Alice's heartbeat calmed down. I decided to stop breathing until it had gone back to its normal pace, which took a good minute or so—though it felt like a decade to me—at which point I allowed myself to breathe.

Her chocolate flavored scent filtered into my nostrils and eased me, allowing me to relax into the bed and snuggle into Alice. I nuzzled into the top of her head, burying my nose into her soft locks of hair. Her hair was drenched with her sweet scent. I moaned quietly as I breathed it in several times, feeling Alice doing the same with my neck.

"You smell good," I whispered as I kissed the top of her head.

Alice giggled and kissed my neck. "You smell even better."

I sighed contently. I'd never felt more comfortable in my entire life than I did now, here with Alice in my arms. It felt _right_.

As I continued to nuzzle into her hair, I heard Alice giggle.

"What?" I asked, absentminded from the happiness growing inside of me.

"You're purring," she replied, disbelief and awe in her eyes.

I furrowed my brow. Was I? It took me a moment to realize it, but I was indeed "purring" as she put it because my body was vibrating. I hadn't even noticed. I guess I'd been too drawn into the fact that I was _finally_ with my soulmate the way that I'd wanted to be for what felt like forever.

It felt _damn_ good and I never wanted this feeling or this moment to leave. I knew that I'd have to go eventually, but I wanted to stay as long as humanly possible, even if it meant sneaking in here at night so that I could be with Alice. I didn't care. I'd waited far too long to find my other half and now that I'd found her_ and_ gotten together with her, I wasn't going to miss a moment of it.

"So what now?" Alice asked, settling into my body. I had to wonder if I was really that comfortable considering the obvious difference in body temperature. And I knew that my skin was harder than rock to humans.

"What do you mean?" I asked, glancing at her curiously.

She looked at me, then. "Well, we've already consummated that we're going to be together and we both know what the other is capable. Maybe not in full, but enough. But what does this leave for our relationship as far as openness goes, like at school?"

I blinked several times. I hadn't thought about that yet.

"Well…" I bit my lip and thought about it. "My family knows I'm gay and they don't care. Most of them have been pestering me to hurry up with you because they want to meet you, actually, so that's a good sign as far as that's concerned. As for school, I guess that has more to do with you and how you feel about it than it does to me. I don't care about those other humans' opinions."

Alice's face fell. She was quiet for a while before sighing and speaking. "My parents aren't exactly keen on homosexuality. In fact, they're against it. They aren't religious yet they claim that it's immoral and wrong to be gay, so I'm pretty sure they'd disown me if they were to find out that I was a lesbian."

I snorted. Why did that not surprise me?

"What do you propose we do?" I asked. "If we come out at school, people will talk. Half of the kids you hang out with are gossipers, no offense, so they'd yak about it until the whole town knew about it. That's how it is here in Forks."

"It stinks," Alice grumbled.

"Yeah, I know." I leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Do you want this to be a secret relationship type thing? We could still be friends; we simply would have to keep the physical affection down a bit. Hugging is fine since human friends do that all the time. Then again, you'd be hugging a Cullen, so…damn."

"Fuck," Alice cursed, hitting her head against my shoulder. She immediately yelped and I felt a small pang of guilt. "Double fuck, that hurt!" She rubbed her forehead a few times and muttered under her breath. Was it bad that I found it mildly amusing to watch that? Probably. "Okay, not doing that again," she muttered.

I gave her a small smile. "Sorry."

"It's fine," she sighed. "I don't know. I don't want to do that to you and make you suffer through waiting because of my own insecurities, but I don't want to be kicked out of my home because my parents blew up at me."

"If your parents threw you out of their house because you were a lesbian, they don't deserve the right to call themselves your parents and they should have their asses kicked," I growled. "I'll be damned if I'll let that happen to you. If it does, you can come live with me. Esme and Carlisle would never throw us out for something so small."

Alice gave me a small smile and kissed my cheek. "Thank you, Bella. It means a lot to hear that from you, it really does. I'm glad I've got other options. Maybe it's because I've been so focused on trying to get my parents to love me that that's why I feel the need to stay. But I know that it will come out in the open eventually."

"You're still conflicted," I murmured. "I understand, I do."

She chewed on her bottom lip and placed her head between her hands. "I don't know what to do and it's eating me up inside. Damn it. I want to do one thing, but I feel…I feel like there's something that's holding me back…"

I appraised her for a moment. "Fear."

"What?"

"It's fear, Alice," I replied. "Fear is what's holding you back. You're afraid of your parents and how they would react. They're still your parents, no matter how close-minded and cruel they can be. You love them and you want them to love you, so you feel inclined to bend to their will in order to try and gain that love."

"B-but I…"

I kissed her sweetly. "It's okay. You don't need to make a decision right now. You have all the time in the world to figure things out for yourself. Remember, you're eighteen. You don't need to live in that house and put up with their crap any more. You have me now. And I'll wait for you as long as you need me to."

Alice's lips twitched. I watched her face as she absorbed my words and thought. I meant what I said, though. I would wait for her. I had a feeling that someone like her couldn't be held down for too long and that she'd make her decision soon enough. She just needed time.

"Thank you," Alice whispered as she buried into the crook of my neck.

I nodded silently and kissed her cheek. "You're welcome, Alice. You feeling any better now?"

"Can I be extremely lame and say that I am now that I'm here with you?" she inquired.

I laughed heartily. "Yes, but thank you. I happen to agree with that extremely lame statement."

"Good."

For a while, neither of us spoke. We laid there in her bed, holding each other. Up until this point in time, things had gone by slowly day by day for each of us. Now, however, everything had sped up and it seemed like things were only going to stay at that pace from here on out. I didn't know what the future held for us and I was sure Alice didn't either. But I was alright with that. We were together now. That was all that mattered in the end; the fact that we were together. I had my mate. She had her guardian. Everything was right in our world.

As that moment, the door to her room swung open rather loudly. I frowned, but ignored it thinking that it was Carlisle. Oh how wrong I was.

"Mary Alice Brandon!" came a shout from behind me. Alice's body froze and my eyes shot open as I whipped my head around.

James and the Brandons all stood in the doorway of the room. Oh fuck.

**A/N: Yeeeeeeeeeeeah. Hi. It's been a while, hasn't it? Heh heh...oh boy.**

**I extend my apologies to those of you who have been waiting for, like, ever for this to come out. My little vacation got extended longer than originally planned. I'll explain why shortly, I just wanted you all to know that it wasn't planned for me to not write that long. I thought about it, don't think I didn't, I was just busy doing other things. **

**Now for the reason; I'm trying to write a book. I think I may have mentioned it before, if not, I am now. I am attempting to transform Blood Solstice into an original novel, hence what I've been doing most of my "vacation". And hey, I got a couple chapters done in that time, so I'm proud of myself. It's something I've had on the backburner for a while now and I decided that enough was enough, so I spent time on it. It's nowhere near the level of being done, but it's farther along than I thought it'd be. So yeah, that's what I've been up to, aside from school and all that jazz. **

**I think that I'm a bit rusty on my Bellice since I haven't touched it for a while, so bear with me if things are slow. I'll be switching between the two stories from here on out, so it may take a bit of time for the infamous Hollowgo to bring out updates. Throw school in, it makes it a bit hard, but I'm not going to quit this story, so you can all relax. All I ask is that you give me your patience, especially since you may very well see Amara in novel form in the distant future. Fingers crossed, peeps.**

**Actually, there's something I'd like to ask. I am in need of someone who knows fluent Russian for my book. One of my characters is Russian and speaks it several times, so I could use someone who knows it rather than going to a translator site and have it not be accurate. All I'd need is a few phrases translated into anglicized Russian. If anyone can help, I'd greatly appreciate it. There are other languages, but Russian is on the top of my list. Thanks to anyone who can help.**

**Alright, so for the most part, Hollowgo's back. It might take me a while, like I said, but I'm not going to forget about y'all. Until next time, peace. Oh, and happy birthday again, Ellie.**


	23. The Brandons

**A/N: Stephanie owns Twilight and its characters, I own my own characters and ideas. How long has it been? Too long? Yes, yes I know.**

**The Brandons**

I was frozen in place, staring at the four humans standing near the doorway in shock. Alice's heartbeat was getting faster by the second and I could feel her quiver against me in fear. For a few minutes, no one spoke or moved. The room was dead silent and incredibly tense to the point where I really wished that Jasper were here to calm everyone down. He wasn't, though.

I glanced between the four faces; Alice's parents, the person I assumed to be her sister and lastly that sniveling bastard James. James looked like he'd just laid eyes on a naked supermodel, which creeped me the hell out and annoyed me in the same because I knew that he was somehow the one responsible for Alice's parents being here. He was bandaged up as if to dramatize his injuries, which weren't that bad. I knew, I could smell them.

Alice's mother and father looked utterly disgusted. The fact that I was the one here in their daughter's room was enough of a reason, but the position that Alice and I were in made it even worse and I knew that Alice was afraid of their reaction. Her sister's expression was hard to read, but I wasn't paying much attention to her.

"What in the hell is this?" the father asked at last, his voice as loud as his wife's.

I sat up slowly, feeling Alice's arms curled tightly around me. I glanced down at her and saw the fear in her eyes and a look that plainly said "help me". I offered her a tiny smile as I turned to appraise her family—plus the weasel—who had yet to move from their current places.

"Cullen," the mother spat, glaring at me. "Just what do you think you're doing here?"

I shrugged. "I was concerned about Alice, so I came to visit her."

She narrowed her eyes. "I find that very hard to believe. Mary, I told you not to fraternize with the _Cullens_, did I not?"

_Hey bitch, I'm right here_. "Excuse me, but who she chooses to be friends with is none of your damn concern, Mrs. Brandon," I replied, trying not to growl. "For your information, my family is not what you make it out to be."

"This doesn't concern you, Cullen," the father interjected, taking a step forward. Alice cringed next to me, but I wasn't afraid in the slightest. I knew right away that he was the stereotypical "alpha male" of the family, the patriarch and ruler. He ran the family with his wife at his side and it seemed like he wasn't going to be outdone by her. Typical.

"Actually, it does," I interrupted. "I'm guessing _he_ told you about this, didn't he?" I pointed to James, who gulped, fear flashing across his face.

Neither of the parents said anything at first. They looked at each other, then at James. James didn't meet their eyes since he was too busy trying to appear distracted. I smirked until they looked at me, at which point I made my face look serious.

"What about it?" the father asked.

I shrugged. "Well, considering the fact that he's the one who nearly hit your daughter because of his poor driving skills and that I'm the one who saved her, I'd say that I do have a right to be here with her, wouldn't you say?"

Their eyes widened in surprise. James swallowed again and looked like he wanted to run, but Alice's sister was standing in his way, staring at him with narrowed eyes. James stuffed his hands into his pockets when her parents eyed him.

"Is this true James?" the mother asked. "You caused the accident?"

"I, uh…" He took a step back. "Well…y-yeah, but I didn't mean to! She…she came out of nowhere and—"

I stood up. "Bullshit. You saw her, you just didn't stop in time, jackass."

"It's true," Alice piped. "Bella saved my life."

Her parents didn't know how to react to this knowledge, but they still didn't look all too pleased that I was here to begin with. I watched them, wondering what was going through their heads as they stared at nothing in particular. James tried slowly making a break for it, but Alice's sister kept him from leaving with a fierce glare.

"Mother, Father, perhaps we should come back," she suggested. "We can have a word with our dear friend James here and get to the bottom of what really happened. At any rate…" She looked at me and offered me a smile. "Thank you for saving my sister's life. I know she's a bit of a pest, but I couldn't bear to lose her."

I nodded and peered over my shoulder at Alice. Her lips twitched as she sat up, almost like she was trying to fight back a smile.

Her mother spoke at last. "James, I am greatly disappointed in you and I will see to it that your parents find out about this. Regardless." She turned to glare at me. "I don't approve of your language Cullen, but I…I suppose thanks is in order."

_It'd be nice_, I thought. "You don't need to thank me. Alice is my friend."

"Is that so?" the father asked. "Explain to me then what the two of you were doing in bed together like that, then."

Crap.

Just like that, her mother's glare increased in intensity. "Yes. What in God's name were you doing with our daughter, Cullen?" Something seemed to click in her mind while she appraised me and she gasped. "Dear Lord. You…you're the gay one, aren't you?"

"What?" the father shouted. Rage appeared in their eyes and Alice whimpered behind me.

I remained in front of Alice, unfazed by their rage. They didn't scare me.

"Yes, I'm a lesbian," I stated. "But I happen to be proud of that fact and so are my family members, who, unlike you two, are open minded people that love and support me. If you plan on judging me because I'm gay, you're even bigger idiots than I thought."

"You…you dare insult us?" the mother asked, walking up to me, face to face. She was a few inches taller than I was, but I found her attempt at trying to scare me to be funny. I had to struggle to keep myself from grinning. Then again…

"Enough!" the father roared. "I will not tolerate this nonsense! Mary, you are not to fraternize with someone like this who—"

He was cut off when the door opened up and Carlisle calmly walked into the room. Or rather, he appeared to be calm on the outside, but one look in his dark gold eyes revealed that he had heard everything that Alice's parents had said. And he was not happy.

"Hello there," he greeted the Brandons smoothly. Were I not a vampire, I wouldn't have picked up on the underlying tenseness of his voice. I did, however. "I was actually going to call you when I heard from a nurse that you had already come."

"Is our daughter free to leave?" the mother asked impatiently.

Carlisle pursed his lips. "She is cleared medically, but I still feel that it would be best for her to stay here for the night. It's her choice in the end." He turned his attention to Alice. "You may leave or stay, it's up to you, Alice."

The father shook his head. "That's ridiculous. Alice, you're coming home."

"It's her choice," Carlisle stated calmly. "She is eighteen, a legal adult. She can make her own decisions without being told what to do, don't you agree Mr. Brandon?"

He narrowed his eyes. "You…"

I cleared my throat to stop him and turned to Alice. She looked torn between what to do for several minutes and, after looking into my eyes, sighed.

"I'll go back home today," she announced. Her crystal eyes flickered to mine again, smoldering with emotion. "But before I go, I'd like to speak with Bella first."

Her parents both glared at me and looked like they wanted to object. Carlisle, however, opened the door and cleared his throat to grab their attention. They hesitated for a moment, but both of them begrudgingly stepped outside. James slinked out after them, leaving only her sister.

"Cynthia," Alice said. "Something wrong?"

Cynthia glanced between the two of us as she walked up to Alice. She was a few inches taller than she was, right around my height with long blonde hair. She had a similar face and very similar eyes to Alice, but there was a distinct difference between the two.

"You're gay, aren't you?" she asked, eyeing her sibling.

Alice pursed her lips. "Yes."

"I knew it," Cynthia breathed. "I've had this feeling in the pit of my stomach for the past few years now that you were a lesbian. I didn't want to say anything since I knew how Mother and Father would react if I did, but…" She rubbed the back of her neck. "I wanted to know for sure."

Alice sighed. "I'm rather thankful that you didn't tell them. I don't want to go back...there."

She whispered the last part and stopped speaking, glancing down at the floor instead. I saw pain flash across her face, a similar expression playing on her sister's. Clearly there was something that I didn't know about. I wanted to ask, but somehow, I didn't think now would be good.

"So…" Cynthia cleared her throat and looked at me. "I believe I owe you thanks. You saved my sister's life and while my parents will probably never say it, words alone can't express my gratitude to you for doing it. Either way, thank you."

I nodded. "It was no trouble at all."

Alice stepped closer to me, her body pressing against mine. I watched Cynthia's expression as I slowly linked my left arm around Alice's waist, pulling her as close as possible. Cynthia didn't look fazed in the slightest bit, but there was something bothering her.

"Did James really cause the accident?" she asked.

Alice and I looked at each other in silence, the shorter girl searching for something in mine.

"Yes," she answered. "Well, no. I mean…it was technically both of our faults since I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing, but neither was he. It happened so fast, I honestly can't remember much aside from the car coming at me and Bella pulling me out of the way."

Cynthia bit her lip and started to pace back and forth. "That fucker," she growled. "I don't see why our parents are so damn obsessed with you two being together. It's like they're blind to the fact that he's a creep because they're such good friends with the Witherdales."

Alice looked mildly surprised. "I had no idea you didn't like him, Cynthia. The way you acted before I honestly thought that…well, you know."

"Fuck no!" Cynthia shouted, throwing her hands in the air. "I only pretend to like that douchebag to please Mother and Father. James is a creep. _And_ he stinks. Have you noticed that he smells like he hasn't bathed in a whole week most of the time? Ugh. I don't get it. Our parents don't even _like_ the Witherdales that much."

"What's going on now?" I asked. As interesting as this all was, I was completely out of the loop and wanted to know more if it involved getting dirt on James.

Cynthia pulled a chair up to the bed and motioned for us to sit. I sat first, Alice waiting before silently asking permission to sit on my lap. I glanced at the door out of the corner of my eyes and patted my lap. She grinned and sat down, snuggling into my body.

Her blonde sister watched us, smirk playing on her lips. "You know, I've never really been one for lesbians, but you two are adorable together."

"It doesn't bother you that I'm an infamous Cullen?" I asked, cocking my head to the side.

Cynthia shook her head. "Nah, I don't have problem with your family," she replied. "Your father was really nice to me the one time I was here with a broken arm. And I met your mother while I was shopping one day, she was really nice too. They're nothing like our parents make them sound. I honestly stopped believing them years ago."

I furrowed my brow. There was something bugging me and I felt now was a good time to ask.

"Before you talk about that weasel, I have to ask something," I said. "To both of you."

"Shoot," Alice replied, turning so she was facing me.

"If the two of you disagree with your parents so much, why do you still live with them?" I asked.

As I expected, neither girl responded at first. Alice tensed up and started staring at the floor while Cynthia rubbed her arm nervously. I wondered what sort of control their parents had on them to make them like this. I could think of several things, none of which were good.

_I swear to God, if they hurt my Alice in any way_, I growled inwardly. If I ever found out about ANY form of abuse, there would be hell to pay.

Eventually Alice spoke, though her voice was very quiet. "Our parents are scary people," she whispered, finally meeting my eyes. "You combine their tempers with their morals and you get two frightening people who do not like being questioned."

I chewed on my bottom lip. "Have they ever abused you?"

The sisters looked at one another.

"Well, no," Cynthia replied. "They've never hit us before. I guess it's more of the fact that they seem like they might if we don't do as we're told. There's some verbal abuse from time and time again, but usually they don't really do anything aside from glare at us and raise their voices."

I hugged Alice, making sure to be gentle not to hug her too tightly. "Still, why not move?"

"Where else could we go?" Cynthia asked. "Sure, we're able-bodied and old enough to leave if we wanted to, but we wouldn't be able to afford the things we have now. Not only that, but I have the sneaking suspicion that our parents would hound us constantly if we left."

"I don't think so," Alice disagreed. "I think they wouldn't care. But still, we wouldn't know where to go."

_You can stay with me,_ I wanted to say. Truthfully, while I wished she could, I knew that it would be a bad idea for several reasons. For one thing, I needed to train myself more. Plus there were my siblings, who aren't used to being around humans longer than the school hours. Finally, I would need to consult Esme and Carlisle first. I never did anything big without their opinions.

"Anyways," Cynthia said. "To answer your previous question about the Witherdales, our parents don't really like them. They just want to be friends with them because the Witherdales are stinking rich and they want to mooch off of them. They do, however, seem to love James for some twisted reason. All they yak about is getting him and Alice together."

Alice ran a hand through her hair. "I liked James at first, but lately all he's been doing is harassing me and getting on my nerves. He likes me, I get that, but I don't like him that way. I wish he'd take a hint and leave me alone."

_You and me both_, I thought.

James had brought her family here, likely wanting to somehow end up as the hero of the story. I could tell by looking into his eyes when he walked in, he looked smug until he saw me, then he started freaking out. Oh how I wish I could've read his mind at that moment. Then again, I also wanted to punch him, but I couldn't do that, so thinking about it would have to make do.

Alice's sister stood up and smiled at us. "I should probably get out of your hair to give you two your private moment. I won't say a word to them, I promise. Thank you again for saving my bratty sister's life, Bella. Oh, and one more thing."

"Yes?" I asked.

"Be good to her, okay?" she asked, pointing at her sibling. "I don't want to see her cry ever again after what she's endured. Promise me you'll take care of her and love her the way she's always wanted and deserved."

I looked into Cynthia's eyes and saw a lot of emotion behind them. She really did have her sister's eyes.

"I promise," I replied firmly. "I'll keep Alice safe, no matter what. Even if I have to fight your parents to do it."

Cynthia smirked. "Good to hear." Her smirk faltered shortly after, however. "I hope you know what you're both doing. You may very well have to fight them off. I have a feeling they're going to chew your ears off for what they saw, Alice."

"I'm prepared," Alice said. "Tell them I'll be there shortly, I still want to chat with Bella."

"Gotcha." Cynthia winked and darted out of the room, leaving Alice and I together once more.

Once the door shut, Alice let out a tense sigh. "Damn it," she grumbled. "I hate my luck sometimes."

I wrapped my arms around her and rested my chin on top of her head. "I know how you feel." I kissed her forehead. "Can I ask you why you chose to go home instead of staying?"

"I had a vision," she replied. "It was really brief, like a flash, but it was enough for me to see that going home was my best option. I can't explain it; I just saw myself going home with them and felt that it was a smart thing to do, so I did it."

I frowned, but I didn't say anything. I was content with just holding her close. Having my mate finally made me feel complete inside and I didn't want the feeling to vanish yet. I didn't care if her asshole parents burst in here again, I'd ignore them.

"Will you be alright with them?" I asked. "I don't want them yelling at you."

Alice looked up at me and pressed her lips to mine. I'd almost forgotten what her heavenly lips tasted like since it'd felt like ages since we kissed. We kissed each other tenderly for a few minutes, soaking in the emotions and the silence while it lasted. Alice eventually broke away from me and nuzzled into the crook of my neck, hugging me as tightly as she could.

"I know that you're worried," she whispered. "Don't be. I'm used to my parents and I can easily shrug off whatever they throw at me. That doesn't concern me. What concerns me is what we'll do in the meantime. I think…I think I'm going to start saving up some money…"

Her voice trailed off and I glanced down at her. "Alice, I'm going to talk to my family about you coming to live with us. Since you're my mate, it's only right that you join the family at some point and I figure the sooner, the better."

Alice smiled. "I'd appreciate that, Bella. Thank you." She kissed me again. "Oh."

"What?"

"Your eyes are black," she replied, cocking her head to the side. "That's not good, is it?"

I touched my cheek and felt that oh-so familiar burn in my throat. Shit. "No, it's not."

"Are you okay?" she asked, concern emanating from her crystal orbs.

I pursed my lips. "Somewhat. My thirst is slowly starting to build, so I'll need to, uh, hunt pretty soon. Maybe it is best that you go with your family, I don't want them to see me when my thirst builds up all the way. That and they were starting to piss me off. And a hungry vampire is not a happy vampire, let me just say."

Alice nodded understandingly and pecked my cheek. "I love you, Bella."

I brushed a strand of hair behind her head and leaned down to press my lips to hers. I loved hearing those magical words. They felt so incredibly right coming from her. Even with my thirst building up, it made me feel good inside.

"I love you too, Alice," I whispered. "I'll see you tomorrow."

She stood off my lap and nodded. "Yeah, see you then. Take care."

With that, she turned on her heel and flitted to the door. She did pause for a moment to peer over her shoulder and I saw a longing look in her eyes, but she sighed and opened the door. Then she was gone and I was left to myself. Alone.

I could feel my thirst increasing now that Alice wasn't around, the idea of getting a taste of her blood popping into my mind as I stood up. I pushed it away and ran both my hands through my hair to try and calm myself down. Freaking out now would _not_ be a good thing.

I heard the door open as Carlisle walked in. My father came over to me and pulled out a blood packet from his coat pocket and handed it to me. I took it gratefully and immediately bit into it, swallowing the contents and moaning in joy as the growing fire in my throat was quenched.

"Thank you," I sighed, tossing the empty packet into the trash.

Carlisle nodded and squeezed my shoulder. "I had a feeling you'd need it so I swiped it when I went on my rounds when no one was looking. How are you feeling?"

"Better now," I murmured, resting my head on my father's shoulder. "But I'm kind of pissed off, to tell you the truth. I can't believe those two assholes have such a strong grip on their kids. Er, excuse my language."

Carlisle chuckled. "No reason to apologize. If we're being honest, I have to agree that those…_people_…lack social skills and clearly don't care much for their children."

I looked into his eyes and saw them staring into nothing, disdain coloring them. Carlisle didn't like the Brandons and the way they'd acted today only reinforced that dislike. I knew that deep down he wanted to call them names the way I did, but he was a gentleman and he just wasn't the kind of person for insults, regardless of the situation.

I didn't blame him for it. It was a part of him that I admired despite the fact that I could never be that way. He was the only person in the family who never spoke ill of anyone else. Even Esme had her moments, though they were only with Carlisle or I, where she admitted how she truly felt about people when she disliked them.

"To be honest, I should be apologizing," Carlisle said, wrapping an arm around me.

"Why?"

"For one thing, I should've stayed behind when her parents arrived," he sighed, sadness shining in his gold eyes. "I knew that they'd attack you in whatever way they could. How much did they say to you before I came back?"

I shrugged. "I didn't let it bother me. I knew they'd say something since they hate us so much. I was more concerned with Alice than anything."

He nodded slowly. "Actually, there was another thing I needed to apologize for. I…I heard a bit of you two talking with each other," he admitted, giving me a sheepish expression. "I heard what she said about her ability and that she now knows what we are."

My eyes widened. "You heard all that?"

"I'm sorry," he whispered, clearly ashamed. "I was going to let you two be, but when I heard that she had visions of the future, I stayed to listen. I'm sorry. I let my curiosity get the best of me. If it makes up for it, I left shortly after. I didn't want to disturb you."

I stared at him for a moment before shrugging. "Eh, it's fine. It saves me the trouble of having to explain it to you anyways. But…" I tapped my chin, grinning. "In exchange for my not telling Esme that you were listening in, I'd like a favor."

Carlisle chuckled. "I'm afraid that bribing me with your mother isn't going to work, dear. I already called her and told her that the two of you are together now and she was beyond happy about it. Sorry, better luck next time."

"Aw, come on…" I whined. "No fair, Carlisle!"

"And using my wife against me is?" he inquired, lifting an eyebrow.

"Damn it," I grumbled.

Carlisle smiled warmly and kissed my forehead. "I'll level with you, though. What sort of favor did you have in mind?"

"It's about Alice and…well, we can talk about it after you get home from work," I said. "I'm sure you've got other patients. I appreciate you taking care of Alice and for the help, Carlisle. I guess I'll get going. See you in a while."

Carlisle nodded understandingly. "As you wish. Take care, Bella."

I smiled and kissed his cheek before darting out of the room. I could've asked him my favor then and there, but I wanted Esme to be present when I brought it up. I exited the hospital and looked around to see if the sun was still out. Unfortunately, it was.

_Crap_, I grumbled. _How am I supposed to get home?_

I noticed that it was darker on one side of the building than the other and decided that going the long way would have to do. I made my way around back, watching to see if there were any humans around watching me. Thankfully there wasn't, which made it easier for me to slink away and into the nearby woods.

Once I was far enough away from civilization, I plopped down and placed my face in my hands, letting the previous events wash over me. From my saving Alice, the talk we'd had, her admitting that she could see the future, everything. It had all happened so fast I hadn't had a chance to really soak it in. Now that I was, I realized several things.

One, my life as a single vampire was over. I had my mate and we were now together.

Two, she knew what I was and didn't seem to care one way or the other. The complications brought on by her being a human were certainly things to take into consideration, but for the time being, I wanted to enjoy the fact that she was now mine and I was hers.

And three…well, everything else that had just happened.

I let out a breath of air and grabbed my cell-phone. I dialed Rosalie's number up and waited until she answered at the second ring.

"_Bella_!" she shouted into the phone.

"Hey Rose," I chuckled.

"_Tell me everything that happened right this instant!_" she demanded. "_I want details, missy!_"

"Alright, alright, I'll give you details," I giggled. "But only if you pick me up first."

Rosalie snorted. "_Fine, I'll pick your ass up. Where are you?_"

"Out in the forest near the hospital," I replied. "You'll find me. Where are you?"

"_Busy shopping_," she replied. "_Give me a little bit and I'll be there_."

I groaned. "Rosalie! You always have to be shopping when I need a ride!"

"_Then walk your ass home_," she scoffed. "_I'm not your babysitter_."

"No, but you're my big sister and big sisters are supposed to take care of their younger siblings," I whined out, trying to use Alice's tactics against her.

Rosalie didn't respond for a moment and I thought I had her. She never wanted to admit it, but I was one of the few people who knew the right buttons to push to get her to bend to me. We had that kind of connection.

"_Give me a half an hour_," Rosalie said. "_Go entertain yourself or walk, your choice_."

"Bitch," I growled.

Rosalie laughed. "_But you still love me. Later Belly-Button_."

Then she clicked off. I furrowed my brow until I realized that Jane had told her about my "nickname".

"Jane, you are_ so_ dead when I get home," I growled under my breath.

I jumped up to my feet and dusted myself off, shaking my head. If Rosalie knew, then Emmett probably knew. And if he knew, everyone else was aware of it. Great. Rosalie and Victoria would never let me live it down. Damn it.

"That could be taken care of, if you'd like, my dear."

My body froze. I knew that voice. I whipped my head around and came face to face with the red eyes that had been haunting and eluding me for years.

"Edward."

**A/N: Can I has your understanding? **

**:P**

**Oi. Sorry about this, everyone. It's been forever and that's completely my fault. Had school, my book (which is coming nicely) and my birthday (March 28th, I'm 20 now!) to deal with during the time of my absence. But I'm back and now I intend to multi-task between this and my book. I apologize for not showing up sooner, though. But hey, you guys finally got something for your eyes to munch on.**

**So yeah, Edward has returned. Fun stuff. **

**Oh, off-topic thing, I posted a poll on my profile. Basically, I want to know whether or not you would buy a book on Blood Solstice (original). Let me know, if you want.**


	24. Unhappy Reunion

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight nor any Twilight characters, I'm just having fun with them. They belong to Meyer. I simply own my characters and my own ideas. **

**Unhappy Reunion**

Edward.

That disgusting, soulless bastard.

The monster who forced himself onto me while I was still a human and treated me like I was nothing but a toy. The same monster that has tormented me relentlessly since I became a vampire, stalking me, insulting me, goading me on into wild chases that never went anywhere.

Here he was, right in front of me. Grinning that crooked grin that I'd been captivated by when I was still a human. Looking at it now made my dead insides churn with hate and I felt every muscle in my body tense up as the rage started swirling around inside of me. He watched me with his empty red eyes, the only emotion within them being twisted mirth.

"Hello, my sweet Bella," he greeted in a velvety, mocking voice. "It's been so long. How have you been these past few decades?"

The beast inside of me roared as the memories of Edward played in my mind. All the hatred and rage I'd felt towards him seemed to bubble up at once and I instantly had him pinned to a tree by the throat, snarling venomously at the person I wanted dead most in the world.

"_**You fucker,"**_ I seethed, gripping his throat tightly.

He frowned. "Why Bella, that language is so unbecoming of a woman. I'm ashamed of you."

"_**Fuck you!"**_ I snarled, flinging him into a nearby tree. The rage continued boiling inside of me and the only thing on my mind became the want to kill him, to rip the bastard into pieces.

Edward stood up and dusted himself off. "That's quite a shame," he mused, smiling. "I was hoping you would be past all that pointless hate of yours by now. How many years has it been since that night? You really should let it go, dear Bella. I forgive you."

I clenched my hands into fists. "What?"

"I forgive you," he repeated, taking a few steps toward me. "For being so weak. I know it's not your fault entirely, you're a woman. And women need men to help guide them. All these years, you haven't had a man to do that because you pushed me away when you had the chance. But I have wonderful news. You and I…we can start over again."

His eyes smoldered with sincerity, which made me sick inside. Not only that, but his sexist comments pissed me off even further. I lunged for him, but he quickly sidestepped out of the way with a chuckle.

"Come now, Bella," he chided. "Have you forgotten that I know what you're thinking? You should know better than to try killing me. You aren't strong enough for that."

I whipped myself around and snarled again. "Shut up you son of a bitch!"

Edward tsk-ed and shook his head. "Again, the language. I'm beginning to think you dislike me or something. Do you really want our child to grow up knowing her mother was a foulmouthed, abrasive fool who disobeyed her father? I don't think—"

I sprang forward and nailed him in the chest with my knee. I grabbed him by the hair and rammed his face into the ground before flipping him over and punching him with my left, then my right. I turned it into a frenzy of punches to his disgusting face until his face was covered in cracks, though the anger inside of me had not subsided.

I growled and spat on his face. "You don't _**EVER **_speak of that," I hissed. "Now stay down so I can rip you apart, you motherfucker."

Before I could I felt something hard strike me in the chest and throw me off of him. I landed lithely on my feet and growled in annoyance as Edward staggered to his feet. His red eyes glowed with rage as the cracks on his skin healed, faster than I'd expected. What the hell?

"You're _angering_ me," Edward growled. "Can't you see that I'm trying to be civil about bringing you back into my life? Why can't you listen to reason?"

He shook his head furiously while I crouched down in a defensive position, more than ready to fight him. No, not fight. I was going to kill him. This would be the day, no matter what the cost to myself was. I _would_ kill him. It was the least he deserved for what he'd done to me.

"You're going to kill me?" Edward laughed. "That's funny. Where did all this anger and animosity come from, hm? That "family" that took you in after I left? I have yet to meet these people, but from the way you talk to them, it's clear they don't respect you. Or is it…"

"Shut up!" I roared, lunging for him again.

He sidestepped once more, but this time I stopped myself and spun, landing a powerful kick to his mid-section. Edward grunted and lurched forward, so I moved in to try and bite him, but he dodged and backhanded me. I jumped back and tried to grab him again, however, Edward proved to be faster than I remembered and was easily able to avoid me.

"My, my." He stroked his chin and chuckled. "You've got a bit of a fighter in you, I see."

"My _family_ trained me," I hissed, readying myself again. "You can't escape me, you slippery bastard. I've been waiting years for this day."

He narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips. The word "family" had made him twitch, something I hadn't missed and I wondered why that was. It amused me either way.

"Hmm…I can't say that I like that tone of voice or those horrid thoughts running through your unclean mind," Edward interrupted me, glaring at me with his now-black orbs. "It seems I should've returned to you sooner, dear Bella. Fear not, I'm sure that in time, you will—"

My fist shut him up. I pounced on him and clamped down on his left forearm, causing him to let out a loud, high pitched screech. He immediately hammered away at me with his other arm until he'd freed himself, but I sure as hell wasn't done yet. Edward glared at me and jumped to his feet, backpedalling a few feet away from me as he clutched his arm.

"You _bitch_," he spat. "You struck _and_ bit me. You truly have become a loathsome cur without my guidance, Bella. Such a shame. I can just imagine the look of sadness on our child's face when I inform her of this. No matter, I'll be certain to fix that."

I narrowed my eyes. "You can kiss my ass, Edward. You won't be going anywhere."

"So you say," he chuckled. "But I must wonder…can you really fight me as well as you think you can? You may have some skill, but I can hear your thoughts and I am a man, therefore I am stronger and superior to you in many ways. Perhaps you should reconsider and surrender before you get yourself hurt. I would hate to have to harm you, dear Bella."

I hissed and sprang at him. He jumped aside, so I used the momentum to push myself at him again, this time keeping my thoughts jumbled to confuse him. I shot one hand forward, which he blocked with his right, then started moving my other arm at him. He went to block, but I grinned and hastily switched, striking him clean across the face with my left fist.

Edward's eyes bulged in shock, but I didn't give him the time to recover. I snarled and sank my teeth into his right shoulder and yanked as hard as I could, tearing a piece of his flesh off. He screamed again and clutched the hole where his flesh had been, cursing at me.

"You fucking bitch!" he roared. "How dare you!"

I spat the piece of flesh aside and ground it up with my foot. "Now who has a problem with their language, Edward?" I asked tauntingly. "Let me help by ripping that mouth right off your ugly face and spare both of us the pain of having to listen to you anymore."

Edward snarled, finally abandoning his superior tone and getting ready to fight me. We lunged for each other at the same time and began to clash, moving around the forest area, striking with arms, legs and fangs in an attempt to tear the other apart. My feral side seeped through as we started to fight and I allowed the anger and hate to consume me, letting the monster take over.

I'll kill him. Kill. Kill, kill, kill, _kill_!

He lunged for my throat, so I ducked. I bit down on his leg and rammed one hand into his groin, muffling the scream that had almost spewed from his disgusting mouth. I continued my flurry of strikes until Edward managed to dodge one and backpedal, his chest heaving from breaths he didn't need as he glared at me with hate filled eyes.

Good, I thought. Hate me as much as I hate you, you bastard.

He hissed and tried to strike me, so I parried his fist and nailed him in the throat. Edward gagged and ate another punch with my other hand, knocking his ass to the ground. I attempted to tear one of his legs off, but Edward wasn't having that and rolled out of the way. I sneered at him for his luck, but this wasn't over yet.

Edward gritted his teeth in frustration. "You're good," he admitted grudgingly. "But I'm still better than you, Bella!"

I motioned for him to come and get me. "Prove it."

He blurred towards me and we collided, creating a shockwave that thundered throughout the area, scaring away all the wildlife. Edward's attacks became faster and more vicious than he had been before, so I had to up my game as well.

His movements were precise and proficient, but Edward lacked physical power. He was scrawny and a coward, which gave me the advantage since I wasn't afraid to fight. Jasper and Victoria had taught me how to fight, Rosalie and Emmett had taught me how to use strength and Jane and Riley had taught me how to use cunning and intellect. Combined with Esme and Carlisle's tutelage and there was no way I could lose this fight.

Edward scoffed as he smacked me clean across the face. I whipped myself around and nailed him hard with a left hook, knocking him back. I attempted to follow through, but he blocked and swatted me aside before sinking his fangs into my back. I clamped down on my bottom lip to prevent myself from giving him the scream he sought and instead flung him over myself.

He was a slippery bastard, I'd give him that. The venom from his bite seared my back, but I ignored the pain and lunged for him. I grinned when he read my thoughts and prepared to dodge because I filled my brain with random thoughts to catch him off guard and sink my teeth into a portion of his chest, which I yanked off in a flash.

"BITCH!" he roared, clutching his chest and snarling like a wild animal.

I tried for another attack, but was struck by a vicious knee that knocked me to the ground. Edward kicked me while I was down, again and again while spouting out profanities. I managed to catch one of his legs and bite it, successfully ripping yet another piece of his skin out. He screamed again, but somehow managed to grab me by the throat and throw me.

"Enough of this!" he growled out. I expected him to come at me, but instead he turned on his heel and sprinted off in the opposite direction.

I narrowed my eyes. _Oh, fuck no you don't._

I took off after him, the only thing on my mind being tearing him into pieces. I chased after him throughout the forest, cursing at him for having a head start. If not for that, I would've been able to catch him by now.

"Get back here and fight me, you gutless coward!" I shouted.

"What's wrong, Bella? Too slow?" he called back, shooting me a crooked grin.

I ground my teeth together as my anger built up again. He was constantly talking down to me and I had had enough of that. He needed to pay for everything he'd done to me, the pain he'd caused me since we first met and…

My thoughts almost flashed to that event, but I changed my mind. He wouldn't find out about that because I know it wouldn't end well. I had to catch him and kill him; end of story. But despite my speed and strength being what they were, I still couldn't catch him. I snarled in irritation and pushed myself as best as I could.

_Catch him, Bella!_ I yelled at myself. _Don't let him get away! You have to catch him!_

Edward laughed mockingly. "You should give up, Bella! You can't win."

_I can and will. I have to. To protect myself. To protect my family. To protect __**her**__._

I don't know how, but the knowledge that I needed to protect the people I loved most in this world somehow pushed me even more and before I knew it, I was ramming into Edward, who had been two yards or so away from me. We skidded on the ground for a minute before he stopped and I flipped him over, sinking my teeth into his shoulder.

"N-no!" he screamed, to no avail as I tore off the largest piece of his flesh that I had yet. He shrieked in agony and I spat the chunk aside before grabbing his throat.

"You're going to die here, coward," I snarled. "And I'm going to enjoy every second of tearing you into bit by bit. And then, when I'm done, I'll spit on your body and dance on your ashes."

Edward squirmed underneath me, so I thrust my left knee into his crotch. I kept the weight applied there so he wouldn't be able to throw me off of him. I wasn't as weak as he thought I was and now was the time for me to prove it. With a grin, I whipped my left hand up and grabbed his messy, bronze-colored hair, earning a wide-eyed look from Edward.

"Let's start with that annoying sex-head look of yours, hm?" I clenched it tightly and ripped off a huge chunk of his hair, earning a scream from him as I removed my hand from his throat. Oh how I enjoyed that musical sound. "Stinks for you that hair can't be reattached as easily as skin."

"Bitch," he growled. I shrugged and punched him hard in the jaw.

"What can I say, I've learned from the best," I chuckled. I tore off enough chunk of hair, grinning with wicked glee at the pain it was causing him. Maybe Jane had rubbed off on me much more than I'd thought, but I sure as hell wasn't complaining.

"Come now, dear Bella," Edward grunted out as I smacked him several times. Cracks for beginning to form on his skin and he was clearly in massive pain. "Is…is this the kind of message you want to spread to our…our child?"

I paused for a moment, then jabbed my thumbs into his eyes. A few yanked out eyebrow hairs and another chunk of hair torn out later and I'd finished having my "child's play". Now was the time for me to begin ripping his ligaments off, but I planned on doing it slowly to savor the wondrous sensations as best as possible.

Edward's pitch black eyes glared menacingly at me. "So this is what you're stooping to? Beating down a defenseless man with a child? Just because you don't care about her doesn't mean that I don't, you heartless monster. You should be ashamed of yourself, Bella. You brought her into this world, yet you refuse to even believe she exists. And you call me the beast."

I stopped and stared down at him. His words, full of cruelty and manipulation, hit my dead heart hard because they were true. I didn't want to accept the fact that the monster beneath me had impregnated me and created a child, one he'd probably turned into a monster just like him. I still remembered that look in her eyes when she fed from a human without a second thought.

I gritted my teeth and tore a piece of Edward's neck off with my teeth. "Don't you _dare_ speak of her like I never wanted her. And we both know you've probably corrupted her with your soullessness and cruelty, _manipulated_ her into thinking that your way is right. You did the same to me when I was still human and forced me into something I didn't want, but what I can do is deal with the consequences of those actions."

I stood up and kicked him hard between the legs. "No, Edward. You _are _the monster. You broke an innocent girl and turned her into what she is today. The only reason I'm full of depression and angst is because of _you_. But that's going to change. I've found everything in my life that I've ever wanted; the love of a family, the love of a mate. It's over, Edward. Once I kill you, I can move on with my life and finally have what I've deserved and wanted since I was young."

I picked him up and slammed him hard into a nearby boulder, sending him directly through it and turning the large rock into tiny pieces. I pounced on top of him and snarled.

"I hope you enjoy Hell, Edward Masen," I seethed.

Edward stared up at me for a moment before bursting into laughter. That sweet-yet-mocking laughter I'd heard more times than I'd ever wanted, in my sleep, in the back of my mind, whenever I saw him or a trace of him. I growled and punched him repeatedly, trying to shut him up. But he wasn't stopping, regardless of my strikes.

"You pitiful, pitiful woman," Edward sighed, shaking his head. "You blame me for your problems, yet you had the power to change yourself. But you didn't. You're weak and the only way for you to feel strong is by clutching on to the thing that you've held onto since the day you were created; your want for vengeance against me."

He punched me hard in the chest and kicked me off of him before staggering to his feet.

Edward ran a hand through the parts of his hair that still remained. "I raped you, I hurt you, I nearly killed you and bore you a child that I took for myself because you were too weak and feeble to do anything for. Boohoo, go cry me a lake. How many years ago was that? How much time have you had to get over it and yet you still haven't? Does that make you feel good?"

"Shut up," I growled.

"I've read your mind, Bella," he said, grinning wickedly. "I know about your precious family that "loves you so much". How do you think they feel, knowing that you are a stubborn, whiny, foolish little child whose only goal in life is vengeance? And what is that vengeance for, by the way, for my causing you to become a vampire? Would you have what you have today if I'd left you alone and not tried to make you my forever?"

He lifted an eyebrow and I clenched my fists tightly. "I said shut up!" I tried punching him, but he caught me with ease and flung me aside, chuckling as he did.

"You are such a child. Your family doesn't love you. They feel sorry for you. Sorry that you can't escape your past because it "haunts" you. You're a broken record of angst and bitterness that will never stop playing until it's turned to dust and you know it. Yet you still seek me out in order to satisfy your fantasy of killing me, regardless of how fruitless it may be."

"No, I think you want me to live, so that you can hunt me down," Edward said. "If you killed me, you would have to accept the fact that your life is meaningless. You've spent all this time chasing me down, but if you killed me, what else would there be. Do you honestly think you can ever be truly happy with yourself? I don't think so. You'll feel empty because the thing you spent so long chasing after would be gone. What else would fill that void?"

His tone, which had been condescending, became serious. "Nothing. You have nothing. Your bonds are fake and meaningless without me around. You don't love them and they don't love you, you only think they do because you want to believe someone cares for you. It's all a lie, though, Bella. I wish you would see that. No one loves you. You're meaningless."

"Liar," I growled. "You're fucking lying to push my buttons!"

"No, I'm not," he stated simply. "What I say is the truth. Think about it. Think hard. Do you honestly think that any of this is really my fault? No. You chose to be miserable in your life, you chose to try and pursue me, you chose to let your bitterness absorb you, to be weak and kill all those humans you so dearly wanted to keep alive. You, Bella. Not me. You. You are the cause of all your family's suffering, the cause of every bit of pain they've ever had to deal with."

I covered my ears. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!" I shrieked. "Stop it!"

Edward grinned. "Who do you think made your family move so many times? You did. Who do you think will make your family move again, cause them more suffering? You will. And who, my dear Bella, will be the death of that sweet, blue-eyed human you falsely believe to be your soulmate that can see the future?" He was standing right in front of me, touching my cheeks with that sinister grin. "What's her name? Alice, I believe?"

"No," I growled. No, no, no, no, no!

He leaned in close. "Don't worry, dear Bella. You won't be the one to kill her. Oh no, I think I'd like to pay a visit to her myself to see whether or not her claims to see the future are true. If they are, she'll be a very valuable pawn for me to manipulate. And guess what? Since you like her so much, I'll even let you watch as I show her what a real man is like. Would you like that?"

I snapped. _**"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!"**_

I slammed into Edward with every force of my being and tore chunks of flesh off left and right, striking at him with every bit of strength in my body. Edward didn't have the chance to fight back because I wasn't giving it to him. I roared in fury, tearing off anything I could as I madly attempted to weaken him.

Edward punched me in the throat, causing me to lurch over. I gagged and tried to grab him, but he blurred behind me and wrapped one arm around my neck, clutching it tightly.

"I told you," Edward growled. "You are weaker than I am."

I felt his teeth enter my right shoulder and in seconds he tore my arm off. I screamed in agony at the massive pain that shot through my body as Edward tossed my limb as far as he could. He swatted me aside, laughing as he did. I clutched the stub where my arm had been, the pain so much greater than I'd thought possible.

"Poor little baby," Edward cooed. "Perhaps I could take you back to the hospital for your daddy to lick your wound, hm? Or maybe your little Alice could kiss it better? Don't worry, I'll be gentle when I force that small, weak, fragile body into her bed and—"

"_**ENOUGH!"**_

Faster than even my mind could react, I was on top of Edward, tearing off his left arm. He screamed in pain as I continued to tear into him before aiming for his throat. I wanted to silence his mouth and end him once and for all. But as I did, my body suddenly stopped moving. At first I thought that Edward had grabbed onto me. Seconds later, however, I felt…cold?

What? I paused and turned to see what looked like ice around my legs, pinning me to the ground as Edward scrambled away from me and grabbed his arm. I broke the ice with my fists, eliminating the strange substance and standing.

Edward had me by the throat before I could do much else, pinning me with his good arm as the other slowly started reattaching itself to his body. I roared and tried to attack him, but he pressed his feet onto my legs and clutched my throat as tight as he could, blocking the air from my lungs and making it uncomfortable for me to take oxygen in.

He leaned down and licked my earlobe with his disgusting tongue. "You know, even with one arm missing, you really are beautiful. I think, before I go and visit your precious Alice, I'd like to see whether or not your body is as enjoyable now as it was all those years ago. It amazes me how you're still so fragile and weak. But then…you are a woman, after all."

"And you are a motherless, fatherless piece of shit," I spat. "You will never find love in this world because you are nothing, Edward. No one loves you. No one ever loved you. Just ask your precious parents. Oh, that's right, they're dead."

"_**Silence, whore!"**_ he bellowed, striking me across the face.

He struck me again and again with his good arm, pounding me into the ground with a vicious barrage of strikes. Every inch of my body hurt as the blood I'd drank started dripping out of my wounds onto the ground. Edward sneered and rammed my face into the ground, one, two, three.

My vision was fading as my body screamed at me in pain. I tried to fight Edward off, but he slammed me roughly and my body seemed to stop working right. Edward grabbed me, this time with his left hand, and lifted me up. He smiled at me, a kind and evil smile.

"I'm going to kill you," Edward said. "Let my words from before sink in. I want you to imagine that little girl screaming and crying in pain, begging for you to save her. I want you to imagine your family standing over your ashes, blank expressions on their faces as it sinks in that their greatest plague is no more. I want you to imagine your daughter, weeping over the mother she never had. Goodbye, Bella. Enjoy Hell for me."

"Fuck. You."

As he was about to wrap his other hand around my throat, a guttural roar tore through the area we were fighting in, stopping him in his tracks. Edward looked up in the direction of the roar as something collided into him.

I forced my body up, cringing at the pain, but pushing past it. Looking over, I saw none other than Rosalie on top of Edward, pounding him into oblivion. It lasted for several moments until Edward somehow managed to kick her off of him. He sprang to his feet like a rat and jumped away from her when she sprang at him again, snarling like an enraged demoness.

"_**You fucking piece of shit,"**_ she seethed. _**"I'll kill you for hurting my sister!"**_

Edward was breathing raggedly as the newly formed cracks on his body started to slowly heal.

"I see you've been saved," he said, glancing at me. "Pity, but I'm not sticking around. But don't think this is the last you've ever seen of me, Bella." He grinned wickedly. "After all, I owe your precious Alice a visit before I kill you, don't I?"

Rosalie looked like she wanted to tear his head off, but Edward turned and sprinted off as a set of enraged snarls echoed in the distance. Rosalie was seething in every sense of the word, turning over her shoulder to look at me. I opened my mouth to speak, but my world suddenly faded into darkness and I collapsed to the ground. All I could hear in the back of my mind was my name being called by various voices as I sank into the trance-like state I called rest.

_Alice…_

**A/N: ...**

**Definitely an...interesting chapter to write. I had big plans for it originally, but then I decided to trim it down a bit and I think that worked rather nicely. This is not the last you'll see of Edward, that much is a given. His escape was meant for you to hate his character even more. That and his remarks (the sexist ones) because, well, I hated writing them. I mean really, I've never been more uncomfortable writing someone's dialogue, but I guess that goes to show you where I stand and it shows that I really want to convey this character as the evil, conniving jackass that he really is.**

**Him calling Bella out wasn't planned originally, that just sort of got integrated in and I'm glad it did. It gave her a legit reason to lose it and try and attack him in blind rage, which, as we all know, unless you're the Hulk or She-Hulk, that doesn't normally work. So it worked out well in the end and I got what I wanted. Plus, if you read carefully, you'll notice a few odd things that seemed to appear from out of nowhere AND we get further insight on Bella's gift. Not time control, like I (think I) said before.**

**Hopefully none of you hate me for that. It was necessary and all part of the big picture. Anyways.**

**Thank you for everyone who has voted on my poll honestly. I appreciate that and encourage everyone else (there's at LEAST five hundred of you out there, c'mon now) to vote and let me know where you stand. Many thanks to the thirty nine of you who said they'd get the book and much respect to the rest of you for your honesty, especially the one that said probably not (I understand, it's cool). To the people worried about price, I'd like to make it be 20 - 25$ considering how big it'll be. To the people wondering about rating, I'd like to say it will be rated OT for bad language, violence and (very minor) sexual themes.**

**I think that's all the news in Hollow's world. School's almost over, so that means more time to write (huzzah!). And I'm beginning my third official fan fiction, which will be both a Bellice and a Rosemmett (is that the shipping name?). It's a gift for my dear friend, so look forward to that in the future. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about my first baby, I just haven't decided when I'll start writing the Bloodshots yet. We'll see.**

**Until next time, peace. Anyone wants to chat or pick up a conversation we left off, feel free. **


	25. Broken Dreams

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight saga or any of its characters, they belong to Meyer. I only own my characters and my own ideas.**

**Broken Dreams**

Edward's words haunted me in my dream-state, echoing in my mind as if it were a hollow cave, constantly reminding me of my failures and the truthfulness to his words. An image of his face formed as the words continuously left his mouth, his eyes flickering with twisted mirth at the pain and anger they caused me.

But was he right? Was my life really that meaningless without my hatred for him? Did my family really only love me because they pitied me?

Edward's face melted away, leaving only his eyes boring into me. His words ceased, but the meaning behind them did not, sinking into me like burning knives into flesh. I wanted to scream as loud as possible that Edward's words were just lies meant to crush my spirit. I wanted to believe that nothing he said was true and that he was simply goading me.

I wasn't so sure, however.

From the day I'd been able to act consciously, the only drive on my mind was to seek Edward out and kill him. That had been my drive throughout my life, save for the moments where I'd found solace in my family. But even then, I never stopped searching, never stopped wanting to find and kill Edward.

In place of Edward's face, images formed of the faces of my family members, each staring back at me blankly for several seconds before shifting to another one. It started with Jane's face and ended with Rosalie's, my closest sister and best friend. Her emotionless eyes bored into me for what felt like centuries before the image dissipated and I was drawn out of the darkness.

I opened my eyes and blinked several times, knowing that I was lying in my room from the ceiling that greeted me. I glanced over to see that my right arm had been reattached and checked to see if it worked properly. It did, but it hurt to move it, so I stopped.

_Damn, my body hurts_, I grumbled inwardly, slowly sitting up. My nostrils flared and I could tell that every one of my family members had been in my room recently. I bit my lip and tried to push Edward's mocking words from my mind, but they ingrained themselves there. I really didn't want to think about it, though, nor did I feel like seeing anyone yet.

What I wanted most was time to think. I sniffed the air and listened closely to tell whether or not I was alone. I wasn't, of course. The house was practically full, so getting out without being detected would be extremely difficult. In fact, Jasper probably sensed my emotions, so someone would likely come bursting through my door any second.

I glanced over and noticed that my window had been conveniently opened. Remembering how I'd been able to move fast enough to catch Edward when we fought, I decided to try and channel that speed—which still confounded me—to jump out of the window before anyone would know.

I concentrated hard, trying to remember what emotions I'd felt to bring out that speed. My need to kill Edward in order to protect people; that was it. But how in the hell was I supposed to feel those emotions now when they weren't in danger? Annoyed, I decided I'd just wing it and pushed myself off my bed as lightly as I could.

Success.

I managed to jump out of my window and land lithely outside. With a brief peering over my shoulder, I bit my lip and sprinted off as fast as I could. I didn't know where I was going per say, so long as I could be somewhere alone for a while to clear my head.

I ended up stopping by our massive lake. It was far away enough.

Hours passed by as I stared up at the clouds, trying to fight back the things Edward had said to me and attempting to make excuses for my actions. It partially worked, but it wasn't enough to satisfy me, so I decided to clear my head another way and stripped out of my clothes before jumping into the lake for a relaxing swim.

The water soothed my aching body and helped relax my mind. It was just what I'd needed so I made sure to enjoy it for as long as I could. By the time I'd had enough, the sun was going down, a good time to get back to the house lest I incur my family member's—translation; Rosalie's—wrath on leaving when I was injured.

No sooner had I stepped out of the water was a towel wrapped around me. I was caught off guard since I hadn't smelled anyone coming. I was startled to see Esme standing there, holding my clothes in her arms as her gentle eyes appraised me. There were a variety of different emotions pulsing in them; love, worry, fear, pain. She offered me a smile, but it didn't reach her eyes.

I sighed and dried myself off with the towel, then re-clothed myself, waiting for my mother to say something to me. Usually she would, but for once, she was quiet. And that worried me.

Several minutes passed before Esme finally spoke. "How are you feeling?" she asked softly.

I ran a hand through my hair. "Not as good as I wish," I admitted. True, swimming had calmed and relaxed me, but it hadn't taken all the thoughts away as best as I wanted.

Esme opened her arms wordlessly, beckoning me into them. I hesitated for a brief few seconds before allowing them to capture me and pull me in close. I nuzzled into my mother's shoulder and allowed my body to melt into her embrace, letting her warmth and love wash over me like a much needed drug. It felt amazing and I honestly never wanted to leave.

Being in Esme's arms was too much for me and I ultimately gave in to my emotions. I dry sobbed into her shoulder as she sat us both down, gently rocking me back and forth while running her fingers through my hair to soothe me. Esme never spoke; she didn't need to because her love spoke volumes for her.

I don't know how much time passed until I stopped. And even then, we remained in that position for even longer. Humans would define the action as strange, but for me, this was one of the most amazing feelings in the world. Eventually—though it was gradual—I pulled away slightly from my mother's body and looked into her eyes. Her eyes shone with unquestionable love as she leaned down and kissed both cheeks, my forehead and my lips.

"My baby," she whispered, shaking her head. "How sorry I am that I was not there to fight alongside and protect you. Had I known, I would've rushed there as fast as possible. I am only thankful that your sister was able to get there when she did."

I nodded. "I'm okay, mama."

"No, you're not," she said, seeing through my lie. "You're hurting. Physically, emotionally, I can sense it all without having Jasper's gift. He could sense it, too, though. While you were healing, he broadcasted the emotions you were feeling. It broke my heart, Bella. What did that monster do to you? What happened out there? Please, I must know."

"Esme…"

She gave me a pleading look and I sighed. "I…after I went and saw Alice, it was sunny out so I went into the forest and called Rose. She said she'd pick me up in a bit, so I figured I'd wait, but then _he_ showed up. We fought, he…said some things and, well, I lost. Badly."

"What did he say?" she asked, narrowing her eyes in anger.

I choked as his words slammed into me again. I cringed and slowly repeated to Esme every single one of them. When I'd finished, I literally cowered in Esme's arms at the expression of pure seething murderous hatred in her eyes. They bored into the ground for several minutes as she breathed raggedly in silence.

"That son of a bitch," Esme snarled. "If he were here, I would tear that fucker apart for what he did to my child. And those words…" She shook her head, finally looking at me. "Bella, those are the words of a gutless, heartless monster trying to manipulate you into believing something that could _never_ be true. Don't you _**EVER**_ believe a word of what he said to you."

She cupped my cheeks. "I love you, Isabella Marie Cullen. You are my child, my baby. You were the first child that Carlisle and I had and you hold a very special part of my heart because of that fact. Nothing will _ever_ change my love for you. And I know I speak for your father and your siblings when I say that they love you the same. You have no idea how important you are in this family. You are our centerpiece. Without you, we would fall apart."

Her eyes blazed with every fiber of meaning and it melted into me, destroying the fears that Edward's words had created. I buried myself in Esme again, holding her as tight as I could as the love and warmth washed over me. Esme kissed my cheek again and again, whispering that she would always love me and that I'd always be her baby.

Eventually Esme released me from her arms and we stood. The moon was out, hanging in the center of the sky as Esme wrapped one motherly arm around me. We walked at a casual pace back to the house, my earlier mood gone for good. There was still the ordeal with my thirst for vengeance being my sole purpose, but with the mood I was in now, I didn't care.

When we arrived back at the home, I was tackled to the ground by Jane, who squeezed me tightly. My other siblings then proceeded to dog-pile on top of me until I was completely smothered by all six of them, which, though odd, was kind of nice.

"Uh, guys, can't move," I grunted, trying to get them off of me.

"Tough," Jane mumbled against my shoulder. "Deal with it."

I groaned and waited for them to let me up, which only took a moment. Jane remained glued to me, which was sweet in my opinion. I wrapped my arms around her and squeezed her tightly for what seemed like an hour before she pulled away and kissed my cheek. I gave her a brief lip kiss and then released her.

What followed was the same for each sibling, ending with Rosalie, who held me the tightest and the longest out of any of them.

"I'm so fucking sorry," Rosalie whimpered into my shoulder. Rosalie, crying? That was…a first.

"Rose," I murmured. "It's—"

"Don't," Rosalie growled, pressing her forehead to mine. "If I hadn't been a stupid bitch, you would have never gotten hurt the way you did. It's my fault. I should've come and gotten you. I should have been there for you, but I wasn't and you nearly died. If it hadn't been for that little human of your screaming at me to come and get you…"

I blinked. "Wait, what? Alice?"

"Why don't we head inside?" Esme suggested, placing her hands on my back. "We can all comfort Bella better inside then out here standing around."

Everyone nodded and we all sauntered inside. I sat down and was immediately pulled close to Rosalie, who refused to leave my side. Jane sat on the floor, curling her arms around my left leg and squeezing it tightly while Victoria sat on my opposite side and took my hand in hers. My brothers all seated by their mates, sans Riley who opted for a chair he pulled in.

I could feel the love emanating from all of them, Esme included as she sat down next to Riley. I didn't need Jasper's gift to be able to feel it, but I knew he was magnifying it to give it more strength, which would've brought me to tears if I could cry. Rosalie looked angry and ashamed of herself and I wanted to ease her, but first, I needed to know about Alice.

"You said Alice called?" I murmured.

Rosalie nodded. "She called my cell-phone and started screeching at me to go and find you because you were in danger. At first, I didn't know who the fuck she was so I demanded to know and she told me. She said that she knew what we were, that she could see the future and that she was madly in love with you and that I needed to help you because you needed me."

The look in her eyes broke my heart. She looked so devastated. I reached up and touched her cheek with my hand, gently stroking it with my thumb. It seemed to work a little, but not enough, so I moved in to kiss her in the sisterly way I always did. She relaxed, but the sadness remained.

"It's my fault," Rosalie said. "I didn't believe her at first, but she kept begging me until I finally decided to go. I should've listened." She shook her head again.

"Rose, it's not your fault," I murmured, nuzzling into her neck. "No one could've predicted that _he_ would show up. I chose to fight him, to pursue him and to let him push my buttons to the point where I snapped and nearly died. It was my doing, mixed in with his."

"Sorry, Bella, but I'm not accepting that," Rosalie said. "I should've been there for you and I apologize for not. All I can say is that I vow to be there for you the next time. I won't ever let him hurt you like that again, I promise you."

My siblings all grunted in agreement and I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Have it your way, but I'm not mad nor do I blame you, Rosalie. Or any of you. I only blame myself for being stupid and letting him goad me on to begin with. Can we move on, though? I'd rather not talk about that bastard anymore."

Everyone nodded.

"He's lucky I wasn't there," Jane grumbled under her breath. "If I ever see that bastard, I'll make him scream like the bitch he is."

I smiled a little. "Actually, I made him scream a few times. Tore his arm off and a couple chunks of his skin out. I know he got his arm back, but I'm not so sure about his skin. Or his hair, which I enjoyed yanking out. Either way, he didn't walk away unscathed from our fight whether or not I lost it. He'd better be ready for next time, that's all I have to say."

A few of my siblings laughed at the revelation that I'd torn him up a bit. Riley, Emmett, Jasper, Victoria and Rosalie all beamed proudly at me while Jane seemed like she wanted me to do more to him, but she smiled nonetheless.

_And so had I_, I added silently. _I need to train more. I need to get stronger and better at fighting no matter what it takes. He won't ever make me look like a fool again._

"Guys, I'll be right back," I said. I needed to call Alice. I had a feeling she was worried. Jane whined and hugged my leg tighter. I smiled warmly at my younger sister and ran my hand through her hair. "You can sit on my lap when I get back, okay Jane?"

She nodded and let go, allowing me the chance to run upstairs to grab my cell. No sooner had I grabbed it did it start to ring. It was Alice.

"Hey," I greeted.

"_BELLA!" _she screamed. _"Oh, thank God, thank God! I was so worried…I…I had this vision of you being attacked and I freaked out. If I…if I hadn't seen you giving me your sister's number, I would've never been able to call her. Are you alright? Are you hurt? What happened?"_

"I'm fine," I replied. "I got a little beat up, but I'm fine, I swear."

That didn't please her. _"What happened?"_

I bit my lip. "I…got into a conflict with an enemy vampire," I answered half-honestly. Now wasn't the time to tell her about Edward. "Honestly, it seems I have you to thank for my timely rescue from my sister. Thank you, Alice. My life was saved because of you."

Alice was silent for a moment and I could almost hear her sobbing. _"You're welcome,"_ she replied after a few minutes. _"I'm just glad you're okay. I…I can't lose you. Now that I have you in my life, you're what matters most to me."_

"I feel the same," I murmured. "You and my family are my world."

"_Give your sister my thanks,"_ Alice said. _"And I guess I'll see you tomorrow at school."_

"Yeah, see you then," I replied. "Alice?"

"_Yes?"_

"I love you," I said.

Alice let out a sharp breath. _"I love you too. So fucking much. Bye."_

"Bye."

She hung up first, then I closed my phone and placed it on my drawer. I ran a hand through my hair when I realized I would need to tell Alice the whole truth about me and him. I didn't look forward to that conversation, but it would have to be done and soon.

He knew about her. That put her life in danger because I would not know when he'd strike unless I was with her every second of every day. And that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. I needed to come up with a plan to…no, not just me. My family and I. They needed to know what happened between Alice and I and that Edward knew of her. We could work together.

I sauntered back downstairs to see my siblings staring into space blankly. I was reminded of that horrid image I'd dreamt up in my mind, but that changed when Rosalie stood and pulled me into her arms once more. I rested my head on her shoulder and relaxed into her embrace, wondering if I would have to tell her that I wasn't mad at her again.

"Esme told me what that fucker said to you," she growled. "It's all bullshit, Bella. We love you more than you could ever imagine. I would die to protect you, you know that. He's playing mind games with you, being the little cowardly piece of shit that he is. Don't listen to him. Everyone in this house loves you. I love you. You mean the world to me, sister."

"You brought us together when we never believed we'd find love or a family," Victoria said, coming to squeeze me from behind. "You were my first friend, my best friend, and Rosalie is right in every way. Please don't think that we don't love you, sister. We do."

"Damn straight," Emmett boomed.

"Thank you, all of you," I said, squeezing my sisters back. "I don't know why I let what he said get to me so much, but it did. But I'm thankful I have you guys here to help bring me out of my pointless wallowing. Because you're right. He's just doing what he can to push my buttons and I'm not going to let it get to me."

Jane giggled evilly. "Buttons."

"Oh, that reminds me…" I lightly smacked my shortest sister in the back of the head, much to her dismay and glared at her. "Did you not promise to never speak of that nickname again, you evil little brat?"

"Ow!" Jane whined. "I never told them anything!"

"You didn't?" I asked, lifting an eyebrow. "Then how did…?"

"What?" she asked, mildly annoyed.

"Never mind," I sighed. "It's not important. Sorry about that."

She smiled. "It's cool. I did tell Rose."

"You little—"

She jumped up to peck my forehead and booked it out of the house, leaving me flustered, but smiling nonetheless. Everyone else laughed, though Emmett clearly wanted to know what Jane and I had been talking about. He wasn't going to find out, however. Not if I could help it.

After a bit more chatting and making sure that I was okay, everyone went back to do what they had been previously except for Rosalie. She motioned for me to follow her, which I rolled my eyes at, but did regardless. We walked outside, far away enough so that the others wouldn't be able to listen in to what was being said. I had a feeling it'd be personal.

"What's up?" I asked, stuffing my hands into my pockets.

She turned around to face me and placed her hands on my shoulders. "I've got a couple of questions to ask, none of which you have to answer, but I'd love to know. First off, how the hell did your little Alice get a hold of my cell number and how did she know about what was happening between you and that bastard?"

"Oh." I bit my lip and sighed. "She can see the future, Rose. I don't know how, but apparently she's somehow got a gift as a human and she was able to see me giving her your number and what was going on. Truth be told, I did plan on giving her your number for precautions sake tomorrow, but I guess there's no reason for that now."

Her jaw dropped. "She can see the future? Fucking seriously?"

I rubbed the back of my neck. "Yeah. Crazy, right? That's why she was out in the woods that night and why she purposefully threw herself in front of a car, to get me to rescue her so we could have the time together to reveal our secrets."

"That little shit did that on purpose?" Rosalie asked, her eyes widening.

I sat down and sighed. "Yes, she admitted to that. I was irked at her for doing it, but when I thought about it a bit, I guess it made sense. It was crazy and risky, yes, but it got me to act on my feelings and we were able to break past all that awkward shit we were forcing ourselves to go through because I sucked at talking to her."

Rosalie sat down as well and shook her head. "Remind me to smack her later. So I'm guessing that she knows what we are now, huh?"

I nodded. "Yup."

"Let's hope that this doesn't bite you in the ass, hm?" Rosalie deadpanned.

"Knowing my luck, it will, but I'll deal with it when it does," I shrugged. "Now that I have Alice in my life, despite the obvious complications, I'm not going to sit back and mope anymore about how things could have been. All I want to focus on is the present and making the right decisions so that Alice and I will have our forever."

Rosalie cocked her head to the side. "Complications? Like her being a human?"

"There's that, yeah, but…" I paused and rested my head on her shoulder. "There's also the fact that she's afraid of her parents right now and for that reason, we're not sure where to go exactly with our relationship."

"Oh, dear Lord," Rosalie groaned. "Is she really going to let those fools keep her from making her own damn decisions?"

"I don't know," I sighed. "I mean, I don't want to force her into something she doesn't want to do, no, but I'd love if she told them to screw off and came to live with us. But maybe now isn't the time for that. Maybe I should give her the time she needs to figure out what she's going to do next, since she did just commit herself to a vampire."

Rosalie pursed her lips and frowned. "And you two haven't even gone on a date yet, let alone really bond much. I guess it's a good thing that you take it slow with her, it gives you the chance you need to adjust to her smell and it lets you two become close. That's what being mates is about; bonding with the person who your heart belongs to and vice versa."

I smirked. "I thought it was about awesome sex?"

She grinned back. "That comes later, although I'm not sure if having sex with a human would be the wisest idea since they're so damn fragile."

I bit my lip. That brought up yet another problem for the foreseeable future; how do I deal with Alice's humanness? The best option would be to turn her, but one, I couldn't do it right now since my control was still too poor and two, I hadn't even asked her about it yet.

I wondered what she would say to the idea of becoming a vampire. It was asking a lot since she would have to throw her current life away and avoid human contact for years in order to train herself to the point where she didn't slip up when she saw a human. That was something all newborn vampires had to do, and it wasn't easy.

"How do I talk to her about turning her?" I asked.

Rosalie's eyes widened. "Bella, that's not something you should bring up yet."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm aware of that, Rose. I meant for later on down the line."

"Well…" She looked upwards at the sky for a moment in thought. "I think that, when you two have developed a strong enough bond, you should mention it to her and see how she reacts. I know that you'd hope she would say yes, but if she says no…"

I swallowed nervously. What _if_ she said no?

"I doubt she will, though," Rosalie stated, smirking. "Why wouldn't she want to be with you?"

I lightly swatted her shoulder. "Not funny, Rose."

"The look on your face was," she snickered. "I think that that's a bridge you'll have to cross in the future, but for now, just get to know the girl. I could tell from the way she sounded on the phone that she was worried sick, which means she clearly has strong feelings for you. I say go with the flow."

I smiled and hugged her. "Are you feeling okay, Rose? You're not acting like your usual self."

She hugged me back. "My mind is in a lot of different places at once. Seeing you hurt, knowing all the shit that he put you through, what he said to you while you fought…it brought back a lot of painful memories of me and Royce and how he had acted that night you found me."

Her face became dark and anger flashed in her eyes. I let out a faint hiss at the mentioning of the man that had raped her; I remembered his face despite only seeing him for a short period of time. What I remembered most was the effect that his actions had on Rosalie after she'd become a vampire and slaughtered him and his friends.

That was one of the reasons Rosalie and I had such a strong bond; we knew what it was like to be overpowered by someone who thought had loved us and we knew how it felt to be wracked with bitterness and anger. We helped heal each other, though. We lent one another strength and in that sense, completed what the other lacked.

"Thanks for the talk, Rose," I said. "I owe you a lot."

She snorted. "No, you don't, dumbass."

_There's the Rosalie I know and love_. "I guess we should get back before Emmett comes outside thinking we're making out, huh?"

"Probably," she chuckled.

We walked back inside together and settled down in the living room while the others cheered on Emmett, Jasper, Victoria and Jane's video game. It was a peaceful night despite what had happened beforehand and I was thankful for my family's council. They'd brought me out of my stupor and I intended to never let myself feel that way again.

There was a lot to deal with on the horizon. Alice. Alice's parents. Edward.

He would be back. I knew it. But I'd be prepared the next time. I would train to grow stronger and better at fighting, learn how to fight around his gift and do whatever it took to keep Alice and my family safe from him and his treachery. I'd make him pay, yes, but I would be smart about it, not reckless.

And in the end, he would be a pile of stinking ashes on the ground while I stood victorious. I vowed myself that right then and there, and I silently vowed that to each and every person in my life that I loved and cared for.

Edward Masen's days were numbered. And Bella Cullen was going to see to that no matter what.

**A/N: Yay, Hollowgo finally got off his ass and updated! Wee!**

**Srsly, though. Ha ha. Sorry bout the wait, but I'm finally out of Hell and I get to enjoy summer! Or at least I would if it wasn't cold and raining. Talk about a total downer, right? Oh well. I blame Cali's crazy ass weather. But anyways, here is an update, and although there wasn't much that happened (it was more filler, I guess you could say), it moves things along and helps Bella feel better. No more mopey "Edward" Bella from here on out, she's going to be training her ass off and building up her relationship to Alice.**

**I can't lie, I'm honestly not sure where I'm going with this right now. But sometimes that's part of the journey in writing, eh? So we'll all see what happens next on this psycho merry-go-round of a story when I update next. Which...I honestly have no clue when that will be. I'm trying to juggle this and my attempt at the BS novel (that would sound horrible if people didn't know the acronym already), which is doing fairly well. Here's hoping I'll be able to finish that before this year ends. **

**Alright, random news time. One, Departed, an amazing writer, WROTE SOMETHING! I was amazed. Nice to see her back in action. Two, happy birthday to a reader of mine, Silva86, who I spoke with via PM and is going to start writing soon (apparently I motivated her?). Three, shoutout to A.S. Rainwater, an awesome writer who has begun her own Bellice story that some of you may have seen. Four, I shrank Bella's height down from 5'6 to 5'4 in this story. Why, because I felt like it (my reason for everything :P). And five...**

**There is no five. So hope ya'll enjoyed this, read my new profile and vote on that poll if you haven't (please). Peace!**


	26. Troubles

**Disclaimer: I don't own Stephanie Meyer. Twilight does. No, really. It's true.**

***awkward silence***

**HOLLOWGO UPDATED! **

**Yes, I know, I did. Hollowgo lives, though not for long, I'd imagine. But...yeah, I know. It's been forever since I've posted and I won't make any excuses because I don't have any. I do apologize to my readers (those that remain, though I've been told there's a good number of you) for taking so darn long to write. To be honest, I just haven't thought much about Broken Aurora.**

**Okay, that's a lie. I have. I thought about making a post a while back and telling everyone that it would be a bit before my next update. However, it would feel wrong if I were to do that because then I'd be getting your hopes up. So I wanted to wait until I was finished with a chapter to let everyone know what's up with Hollowgo and why HE (some people still get that confused) hasn't updated in God knows how long. More at the bottom. **

**Troubles**

"So Bells, what's the plan?" Emmett asked. He had barged into my room a few minutes ago, shut the door and sat on the edge of my bed with the most serious face he could make. I knew then that this wasn't going to be pleasant and his question only confirmed that.

"Plan for what, pray tell?" I asked, arching an eyebrow.

He grinned, like he'd wanted me to ask that. Oh boy. "Several things, actually," he replied, crossing his arms. "First, what're you gonna do about that jackass if you see him again? I mean, I know you've said over and over again that you won't fall for the same crap, which is good and all, but…well, he's got a lot of ammunition against you and…"

"Wait, wait, wait," I held my hands up. "Before you go on, tell me. Did Rose put you up to this in any way, shape or form?"

Emmett pouted. "No. I'm here of my own free will."

"Oh," was my surprised response. "No offense, Em, but usually she bribes you with sex or something like that to get you to be serious. And don't try denying it, because we both know that it's true."

"Yeah, yeah," he groaned, hanging his head for a brief moment. "ANYWAYS, I'm being real about this whole thing. I don't want to see you get hurt again and I really don't want that asshole to plague you anymore than he already has."

"I appreciate the concern, Em," I said, smiling at my brother. "Really, I do."

He grinned back. "Good! Now tell me, how will you deal with him?"

I pursed my lips. "I don't know, honestly. I haven't thought on it much. I've been trying not to think about him for the time being, but I would like to train with Jazz and Tori. Other than that, I have to learn not to let what he says rile me up. If I can do that, get better at fighting and learn how to, I don't know, manipulate my thoughts, I think I'll be fine."

He nodded slowly. "You should totally sing a song or something to distract him. Or maybe watch some hot porn video and think about that."

I rolled my eyes. "Very funny, Em." _Though he does have a point…_

"But, uh, there is one thing…" He licked his lips nervously, which was odd for Emmett.

"Yes?"

"Look, I know you don't like talking about it, Bella, but…you know, your, uh…child?" He asked sheepishly.

_My daughter_, I breathed inwardly. The creature that I had brought into this world, my own flesh and blood with something extra thanks in part to that bastard. I never spoke about her to anyone, but she was on my mind constantly. I always wondered what it would have been like if Edward hadn't taken her with him, how it would have been to raise her.

I didn't like thinking about the idea of my own child being turned into a monster by Edward, but I knew that he'd had to have done something to her. If I saw her again, I probably would lose it, or at least freeze up. And I had a feeling Edward would use that to his advantage. It worried me.

What could I do? I couldn't hurt my own child, regardless of what she was thanks to _him_. The thought scared me and the fact that there was no real way to prepare myself for it scared me even more. Emmett had a right to be concerned.

"I don't know," I whispered after a while. "I…I really don't know."

He nodded understandingly. "I know it's rough, Bells. But you…you should try to prepare yourself just in case."

"I know," I replied.

"Anyways!" he boomed, clapping his hands together. "The other thing I wanted to ask about was what you planned on doing about that little cutie of yours. I mean, you gonna date her and then bring her back here to bang her? Because if you are, I want to grab my video camera and—"

He was cut off by a sharp smack to the back of his head by a suddenly appearing Rosalie. I punched both his shoulders while he whined and rubbed his head, pouting like a little kid that had been caught with his hand in a cookie jar.

"That's enough of that shit," Rosalie growled, glaring at her husband. "You know damn well that that's Bella's private life, _not_ your business. Now shoo. We have to be at that crap-hole school in a couple of hours and its sister talk time."

Emmett hung his head and trudged out of my room. The second he was gone, Rosalie shut the door, locked it and sat down in front of me in a matter of seconds, grinning smugly.

"Spill," she demanded. "I want the answer to his question."

I rolled my eyes. "Why am I not surprised?"

"As if I'm going to let you tell him and not _me_," she scoffed. "Now spill."

"Why is everyone in this family so nosey?" I asked no one in particular. "I swear. It's like the idea of having some form of a secret is forbidden in this household despite what Carlisle and Esme constantly say to us."

Rosalie crossed her arms. "Firstly, I don't pester you unless it's super important. And since you obviously stink at doing anything related to romance, I thought I would offer you my aid just in case the advice those two sex-hounds gave you wasn't good enough."

I chuckled at the memory of Kate and Amara's advice. Actually…

"Don't take this personally, Rose, but I think those two are more qualified to help since they're gay," I pointed out, poking my tongue out of my mouth at her scowl. "And since you're as straight as Emmett, I sincerely doubt—"

"Have you forgotten what we did?" she inquired.

"It wasn't technically sex," I protested. "It was…lots and lots of making out with some groping and a little bit lower involved, that was it. At least, that's how I saw it."

"Your moans of joy make that statement bullshit," Rosalie smirked.

I snorted. "Whatever. I'm going to call the "sex-hounds" after school today. Do you think it'd be cool if Alice sat with us at our table today at lunch?"

She shrugged. "I could care less. But you may want to talk to Jane about it."

I grimaced. That wasn't going to be fun.

A few hours later, we left for school. I carpooled with Jane and Riley, the former of whom was driving her precious baby to school despite her usual disdain for taking her car out to places she deemed "unworthy". I remained silent throughout the trip, fully aware of the looks I was getting from Jane and the brief glances shot to me by Riley.

Once we reached school, the three of us departed Jane's vehicle. My shortest sister immediately zoomed over in front of me, hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. Riley snickered, earning a glare from me as he ran off to class.

_Thanks for nothing, Riley_, I growled inwardly. "What is it, Jane?"

"Am I to understand that you want the human at our table?" Jane inquired, arching an eyebrow.

I sighed. "Does it really bother you that much, Jane?"

She opened her mouth, then shut it for a moment. "No," she replied. "Bella, I love you and I want you to be happy, don't get me wrong. I…I don't know, I'm just not sure about this Alice girl and all the trouble you'll be putting yourself through to be with her."

"Jane…"

"Hang on," she said, giving me a pleading look. "Just let me finish, okay?" I nodded. "Look, I know I have some bias against her, but I'll give her a chance. I just want what's best for you, alright? I don't want you straining or harming yourself just to please the human. In a relationship, both halves are equally important, after all."

I smiled and hugged my sister. "Thanks, Jane," I said, kissing her cheek. "But you know, you might want to run that speech by Rosalie and Emmett sometime in the future. Just to see how they'd react to it."

She snickered and jumped up to peck my cheek. Alice's Porsche drove in at that moment and Jane, after rolling her eyes, sauntered off to follow her mate. I smiled and strolled over to Alice's car as my blue-eyed beauty—I could call her that now, right?—stepped out. I slowed my pace down when I remembered our agreement and opted out from kissing her. Hugging, however…

"Morning, Alice," I greeted, right as she turned around into a hug from me. She was surprised at first, but it didn't take long for her to relax into my body and hug me back.

"Morning, beautiful," she replied, smiling at me. "Say, did you get shorter?"

I blinked several times and frowned. "Huh?"

She giggled. "Nothing, nothing. How are you?"

"Good," I replied. "To borrow a lame cliché, I'm better with you here. Yourself?"

Alice rested her head on my shoulder. "I'm alright, I guess. There's…some stuff I want to talk to you about, maybe during lunch, if that's possible."

"I was actually going to ask if you wanted to join our table at lunch," I informed her. "You'd be the only person eating, naturally, but it won't be so bad having the chance to finally meet my siblings, right?"

Alice's eyes widened in shock for a moment, then settled. "I'd like that," she replied. "Do your siblings mind?"

I rolled my eyes. "No. And even if they did, it wouldn't stop me from asking you."

She beamed brilliantly. "Then it's a definite yes. I'll see you at lunch?"

I nodded. "See you then."

For a moment, we stared into each other's eyes and slowly leaned forward, the temptation to kiss far too powerful. But we both knew that we needed to take this slow and kissing in public—especially in the middle of the hallway—would be moving too fast. So we settled for a hug and, when no one was looking, a kiss on the cheek, instead.

"I love you," she whispered, knowing I would hear. Then she sauntered off.

I didn't fail to notice that there was something bothering Alice, but now wasn't the time to ask her about it. With a sigh, I turned and shuffled off to my first class, not even caring if I was late anymore—not that I ever cared to begin with.

My classes went by tortuously slow, as if time wanted to make me wait for the time I would get to spend with my mate. It annoyed me to no end and there were moments when all I wanted to do was sprint out of the classroom to escape and simply wait for lunchtime. But no, I was a good student because that was how Carlisle and Esme taught me. Damn it.

My irritation was only made worse by the presence of the most annoying human male—okay, technically the third most annoying behind that weasel and Alice's father, but in school, he was on top of the list—Mike Newton.

Last I had seen Mike was when I had threatened him for constantly trying to flirt with me. Since then, the fool had been smart enough to keep his distance and keep his mouth shut. However, for some unexplainable reason, Newton decided that he was going to try his luck with me, _again_.

"Hey, Bella," he greeted me before our class started. The class before lunch, the one I silently hoped would speed up.

I grimaced and considered telling him off, but didn't. I merely gave him a curt nod, not even bothering to turn and look at him in hopes that ignoring him would make him realize that I wasn't interested in communicating with him. When will I learn?

"How're you?" he asked, turning to face.

"Fine," I replied, still not looking at him. _Why won't this piss-brain quit?_

"So, uh, what've you been up to aside from saving that Brandon girl's life?" he asked. From the sound of it, Mike was actually jealous that I had saved her. I almost laughed at the idea of him wanting me to "rescue" him. After all, most men wanted it to be the other way around, right?

"Life," I answered, resting my chin on one hand. Was this going to happen until class began?

I could practically see Mike frowning. "Why don't you like me?"

_The things I could tell you_, I chuckled inwardly. "You annoy me."

"And if I were to, say, make up for that fact?" he inquired.

At last I turned to him, annoyance growing within me. It grew twice as fast when I saw the look in his eyes, one that clearly said "I want you", coupled together with an incredibly idiotic looking smile that put Emmett's goofy grins to shame. I was repulsed by the sight and, were I human, may have even felt the need to vomit.

"There's nothing you can do to make up for you, jackass," I growled. "Now stop bothering me or I'll rearrange your insides like a balloon animal. I don't like you. At all. Or do we have to have another _talk_ like last time?"

His eyes flickered at the memory and he ducked his head. "Look, can you please just help me out here just once?" he begged, giving me a pleading look. "I told a bunch of the guys that I had a super hot girlfriend and that I would show her off to them today after school. So…"

My eyes widened and I nearly gagged on my venom. "No! God, no!"

"But…"

"**NO,"** I snarled. "Leave me alone."

Thankfully, the teacher walked in before Newton had a chance to respond and I turned my attention forward as class began. Mike tried on several occasions to get my attention without touching me, but I ignored each one until he ultimately stopped. Class itself was dull, as I knew it would be, but eventually the bell rang and I made a mad dash—at human pace—out the door.

In doing so, I almost collided with none other than Alice, who had been looming near the doorway by the time I sprinted out. She speedily jumped back right as I came to a screeching halt, my vampire balance preventing me from falling and making a fool of myself.

"Alice!" I breathed in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Alice blinked several times, then relaxed her posture. "I was waiting for you, of course. I didn't expect you to come barreling out of the classroom and nearly plow me over." Her lips curled into a cocky smirk. "That excited to see me, huh?"

I bit my lip and moved away from the door as students started walking out. "A little bit."

"Bullshit," she snorted. I smiled; hearing Alice cuss was strangely attractive.

I was about to playfully respond when Mike walked out of the class and Alice's attention shifted to him, her eyes narrowing into the most vicious looking glare I had ever seen from her, one that could match up with Rosalie's death glare.

Newton didn't seem to notice her or was trying not to. "Can we talk?" he asked.

I threw my hands in the air. "What the fuck is with you? I don't want anything to do with you, so stop bugging me! Christ!"

Mike's eyes narrowed and for the first time, he looked upset. "You're a dumb bitch, you know that? I try and I try to be nice to you, but you always throw it back in my face. You think because you're rich and good looking that you can treat everyone else like shit? Huh?"

I blinked, not in surprise, but with interest. "Well now," I mused. "This is a first for you."

He jabbed a finger at me. "I'm tired of you treating me like garbage! You're just a freak, like the rest of your crappy family! The only reason I ever liked you was because you were hot, but that doesn't matter anymore! I hope you rot, you bitch!"

His petulant tirade was more amusing to me than insulting. Normally, though, when someone made fun of my family, I would be quick to stand up for them. But with Mike…I just couldn't take the poor boy seriously. His face was reddening, his words were on the verge of coming out in stutters and with a face like that, there was no way I could ever consider him a threat.

"Okay," I said, giving him a wave. "Bye bye, Mike."

I turned and started walking away, Alice soon joining me, though she still looked angry. Mike should have had the sense to leave it alone at what he'd said. Naturally, he had to have the last word in, which was his biggest mistake.

"Yeah, you walk away, whore," he spat. "No one likes you anyways."

I twitched at his comment, but was able to brush it off. I was about to turn to Alice, but when I did, she was gone. I whipped around just as Alice's left hand lashed out, smacking Mike across the face with so much force that he actually careened with the wall. My jaw dropped to the floor.

"Don't you ever fucking call her that!" Alice bellowed, grabbing Mike by the throat and pushing him against the wall as if he was the shorter one.

"W-what the—?" Mike's words were silence by a slap from the right side too.

"Bella is my friend and she's ten times better than you are, you dickless asshole, not because of her money, but because she's beautiful, smart and the sweetest person I've ever met," Alice snapped, slamming him against the wall again. "The only reason she's not nice to you is because you don't fucking deserve her kindness!"

His eyes bulged to the size of tennis balls and he tried to speak, but she silenced him with a glare.

"No! The only thing I want to hear from you is an apology to Bella, you got that? Because if you _ever_ say anything bad about her again, I will make you _suffer_ pain you can't even begin to imagine, you overgrown twerp. Got it?"

He nodded. "Yes," he squeaked.

"Good." She let him go and smacked him in the back of the head. "Now _apologize_."

He hastily bowed his head. "I-I'm sorry, B-Bella. I'll n-never do it a-again."

Satisfied, Alice flicked him in the shoulder, then strutted towards me. Without a word she looped her arm around mine and led me in the direction of the cafeteria. I was too stunned to even bother resisting. She let go once we were there and smiled at me before sauntering off to the lunch line. I stared after her for a good minute or so, then walked over to my family's table.

"What's up with you?" Emmett asked as I sat. "Alice flash you or something?"

Rosalie smacked him. "That's none of your damn business, Emmett."

"Ow!" he whined, rubbing his shoulder. "I was just asking…"

"Did I hear Alice shouting out there?" Jasper inquired, lifting an eyebrow.

I nodded, licking my lips. "She…she just…Newton…"

"Spit it out!" Jane grunted, poking my side. "What the hell happened?"

Quickly and quietly I told them what had transpired, watching out of my peripherals to check and see where Alice was. It wasn't that I cared whether or not she heard; I simply didn't want to give her the wrong idea with my whispering.

When I finished, all six of them simultaneously burst into laughter, Emmett's so loud that most of the other students turned to look at our table. Eventually I joined in laughing with them, which probably made our family look like a bunch of attractive hyenas to the prying eyes of the other students, but none of us cared about that.

Alice soon came to join us, hesitating when the laughter died down. I pulled the chair next to me out for her and gave her an encouraging smile as the entire lunchroom fell silent. Alice bit her lip and shyly seated herself next to me, the sound of her lunch tray hitting the table echoing throughout the entire cafeteria despite being so quiet.

"Awkward," Emmett drawled out in a vampire whisper, almost earning another smack from his wife, who glared at him instead.

I sighed. "I guess now is as good a time as any for formal introductions. Alice, these are my siblings; Victoria, Jasper, Emmett, Riley, Jane." I gestured to each and she greeted each as they greeted her in turn, even Jane. "And lastly, my best friend and super bitch, Rosalie."

Rosalie snorted. "That's QUEEN super bitch to you, punk."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever."

"It's nice to meet all of you," Alice said, smiling softly. "I've been looking forward to meeting all of you for a while now, honestly.

"It's nice to meet the girl whose got our sister drooling her mouth out in her spare time," Jane replied, another surprise move.

Alice smirked, her eyes flashing with a myriad of emotions at the comment. I smiled shyly when her eyes met mine, but made sure to give a light punch to Jane's shoulder when Alice wasn't looking. She merely grunted in response.

"So…" Riley began. "Tell us a little about yourself."

Alice blinked. "Bella hasn't done that yet? I would have thought that she'd be bragging about me to her family by now." She shot me a look and I turned away, trying to suppress a laugh at the expression on her face. Plus, I felt a little guilty, mostly because I hadn't done much to get to know Alice yet.

"Not really," Victoria replied, grinning at me. "She hasn't bothered introducing you to us until now, so what do you expect?"

_Thanks, Victoria_, I growled inwardly.

"That's fine," Alice giggled, gently poking my side. "Well…I'm pretty simplistic. I like to shop, draw, sing, dance and listen to music. Shopping is definitely one of my biggest hobbies, I go every weekend to the malls in Seattle to try on and buy new clothes and shoes. Of course, the choices are kind of lacking, but I still love it."

Jane groaned next to me. "She's as bad as Rosalie."

Rosalie snorted, then smiled at Alice. "You sound like a woman with good taste, Alice."

"Why thank you," Alice replied. "I love your dress, by the way. Great designer."

That made Rosalie smile even wider, so I knew she'd won one of my siblings' over already. I wondered if she would be able to do the same with the others. Jane, if anything, would be the hardest of them since she wasn't fond of Alice. But I had confidence that she'd be able to make Jane like her. She was too cute to resist, after all.

"Do you play video games?" Emmett asked, tilting his head to the side.

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "Em, most girls don't like video games."

He grinned. "The four of you do. You play them as much as Riley, Jazz and I."

"That's different," Rosalie insisted.

"Uh huh," he replied, grinning wider. "So do you, Alice?"

Alice laughed. "I do, actually. My sister Cynthia bought me a PSP a few years ago and a DS the year after and we've been addicted to them ever since. Our parents won't let us buy any consoles, though, which kind of stinks, but I'm down for playing them if I ever get the chance."

"Nice!" Emmett crooned. "We got another gamer!"

"One who will likely end up beating your scores," Victoria snickered. "Everyone does."

"Shut up!" he huffed.

Everyone kept chatting with one another for the rest of lunch. I remained silent throughout most of it, content with the fact that Alice was able to mesh in well with my family despite the fact that we were all vampires and much, much older than she was. Even Jane, though she tried not to, was joining in with the conversations and talking with Alice.

It made me happy, happier than I'd felt in the longest time. Constantly seeking vengeance was pointless now and all these years of brooding over my past were a waste of my time. This was what I'd needed in my life; to have found my other half. And now that I had, I honestly felt that it had changed who I was as a person for the better.

"Bella?" Alice's voice broke through my thoughts as the others continued bickering.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"You okay?" She looked concerned and I shrugged. "Don't shrug, I'm serious."

"I'm fine," I replied with a chuckle, touching her shoulder. She shuddered at my touch and my grin grew. "I'm just happy that we were able to make this work."

"Same here," she murmured. "But…there's a few minutes left and I'd like to talk with you alone, if that's okay. Remember?"

I did recall her mentioning that she had something to talk with me about, so I nodded and the two of us excused ourselves from my family's table. I got a number of responses from Emmett giving us a wolf whistle to some quips from Rosalie, Victoria and Jasper. I ignored all of them as we sauntered out of the cafeteria to a hallway that was otherwise vacant.

"What's up?" I asked, leaning against a wall.

She giggled. "Hearing you say that is kind of funny." Her face grew serious after that and she moved closer to me, resting her head on my shoulder as my arms curled around her. "There's a few things that I wanted to tell you, one of which is good."

"What is it?" I inquired.

Alice looked at me and beamed. "I know you were planning on asking me out today after school and the answer is yes," she breathed, kissing my cheek. "I would love to go out with you, Bella and I really don't care where we go. Just being able to spend time with you sounds awesome."

I smiled warmly at her. "You know, it's really annoying that I can't openly ask you something like that without you knowing beforehand. It ruins the whole point of a "surprise"."

She shrugged. "You'll live."

I rolled my eyes. "Not the point, you brat." I tousled her hair affectionately and she giggled again, playfully batting my hand away. "Now, what's the bad news?"

Alice's smile dropped and she sighed. "There's two of them."

_Joy_, I muttered inwardly. "Go ahead."

"The first is…is that my parents are considering taking me out of school," she whispered. "I would then be homeschooled like my poor sister is and I'd never be able to see you. That would _really_ fucking stink and I hope to God that they don't do it, but I can't change their minds if they decide to do it. My sister is trying to reason with them, so I hope they agree to let me stay."

I pursed my lips. "Why do they want to take you out of school?"

"Because they're afraid," she replied. "I think they saw us being together like that and it scared them because they don't want me to be a lesbian. And even though I told them again and again that it wasn't that, they don't believe me. That's why I hate living there, but if I left, then they would make my life a living hell on earth."

I started rubbing her back and my head rested against hers. "I know, Alice. But I keep telling you that you could come live with me at my home. You'd be happy there and you wouldn't have to deal with that bullshit at your place. Your sister could come too, for all I care."

"I know," she replied. "And I am grateful for that. Maybe soon, if things don't work out. I do want you to be prepared for it too since I'll be in your hair 24/7."

I snorted. "I deal with my siblings 24/7, I think I could handle you."

Alice gave me a cocky smirk. "I hope so. I'm pretty amazing."

"I know," I replied, pressing a kiss to her nose. "What's the other bad news?"

"It's James," she grumbled and I growled in annoyance. "Only worse; it's James _and_ his family."

"He has a family?" I asked, astonished. "I wonder how much alike they are…"

"Too much," she replied.

I shook my head. "What's he done this time?"

"He hasn't done anything, actually," she admitted. "No, my parents have actually set up a _date_ for us at our own house. What's worse than that is that his parents agreed and they'll all be there with us to make sure that we end up together. It's like some kind of pre-arranged marriage and it makes me sick to my stomach."

Alice pulled away from me and threw her hands in the air in frustration. "FUCK!" she cursed.

My jaw clenched tightly as I felt the venom starting to build up, rage gripping at my body. I took in several deep breaths to calm myself, not wanting Jasper to worry and come out to see what was going on. I wanted to punch something, but I kept my anger in check and walked over to Alice, who was still fuming.

"Alice," I breathed, placing my hands on her shoulders. "Alice, come here."

Her gorgeous eyes pulsated with multiple emotions, including anger and sorrow, as I pulled her back into my arms. She relaxed against my body and nuzzled into my neck as I pressed my nose into her hair, breathing her scent in to calm myself down as well.

"It'll be okay," I whispered, rubbing the back of her head. "It will."

"I hope so," she murmured. "I want to be with you, not him. I'm tired of my parents being assholes to me and I'm tired of having to hide who I really am." She clutched me as tightly as she could and I tightened my arms ever so slightly around her. "I don't know what to do."

I pressed my lips to her neck, though in truth, I didn't know what to say to her. I held her until the bell rang, at which point she pulled away from me and offered me a tiny smile.

"Thanks for holding me," she said, her eyes shimmering. "I've always wanted that."

"Any time," I replied. "When is this…thing…happening?"

"This weekend," she answered, shaking her head in annoyance. "Saturday night."

I nodded slowly. "We'll figure something out, alright?"

She nodded and kissed my cheek before sauntering off to her next class. I watched after her and let out a tense breath as I moved back into the cafeteria where my siblings still were. Jasper noticed me and tilted his head to the side, obviously having sensed the emotions.

I sighed as I sat down. "Damn it."

"What's wrong?" Rosalie asked.

"Her parents," I growled. "They're inviting that jackass over to dinner, but in reality, they're setting them up on some kind of date."

"That stinks," Victoria commented. "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know," I replied. "I'll figure something out."

"I have an idea," Jane said after a few minutes of tense silence. I looked up and appraised her curiously, noting the evil grin on her face. "You should crash it."

**A/N: So I hope that this was semi-acceptable. Can't make any promises since I don't know when the next time I'll be updating will be.**

**Why have I not updated? I've been working on a book. Not just a book, in fact, THE book. I have been hard at work writing this thing for the past few months (along with school, though that was more recent) and that has been my primary focus. Here and there I've done a bit on BA, but for the most part, that was put on the back burner because my heart wasn't fully into it. And because my muses were on vacation, the lazy fools. Anyways, yes, that is why I haven't been around as much.**

**I hope that, for those of you who have still stuck with me, you can forgive me for my absence. Because if I can succeed in what I'm doing now, I'll be able to achieve something even better than what I'm doing here. Or at least, that's my goal. I'm going to really focus on my book for a while, so I won't be doing anything with BA any time soon. But fear not, because like I said, I won't drop it or anything like that. I'm not one of those authors who stops writing or changes after a long period of time like others would; that's not me.**

**So yeah. Thank you to those of you still reading and still on Team Hollowgo (:P). I haven't abandoned anyone nor will I. Peace, peeps.**


	27. Plotting

**A/N: ...**

**Disclaimer: Meyer owns Twilight. I own my characters.**

**Plotting**

"You really think I should crash the party?" I asked my smallest and youngest sister while in my room. I'd waited until school ended to bring it up since it took me that long to try and wrap my head around the idea that I could pull it off. "Be honest, Jane. I know you like causing mischief and all that, but this is a serious subject."

I was sitting in the center of my bed, Jane on the edge with a closed book in her hands. I'd called her up to my room to discuss her idea more in depth without the others eavesdropping.

She snorted. "I'm not stupid, Bella. I know how serious it is. But honestly, do you really intend to let that creepy douche be with your mate? C'mon, now. You and I both know you would crash the party whether or not I'd suggested it."

With a sigh, I nodded. "Yeah, you're right. I would have. I don't like that fucker being near her and I'm tired of her idiot parents trying to force shit on her. Ugh!" I threw my hands in the air in frustration and flopped down onto my bed.

"We could just kill him," Jane remarked innocently. "It's not like anyone will miss him."

"Tempting," I mumbled. "I don't think Carlisle and Esme would approve of it, though. Besides, I'm doubting Alice would like it if we killed him, even if she hates the guy. No, I think if I can scare him off once and for all, then he'll leave her alone for good."

"Why do you always have to be so goodie-goodie about things?" Jane asked.

"It's the way I was raised," I replied. "However, if he ever tries to hurt Alice, then…"

"He won't live to see the next day," Jane finished. "I'm not surprised you would say that, I just wish you guys would let me torture someone."

I rolled my eyes. "Come on, Jane, none of that. You'll get your chance in the future, I'm sure, but keep your evil impulses in check, why don't you? And don't use it on Emmett just because he's the most durable person in the family."

"Fun sucker," Jane grumbled.

"Am not," I replied, sitting upright and reaching over to tousle her hair.

"Gah!" she whined, batting my hand away. "I hate when people do that."

"Oh, stop," I chuckled. "It's a sign of affection."

"I'll show you a sign of affection," Jane retorted, only to pause and frown. "Wait, that…didn't come out the way I thought it would. Um…" She blinked unnecessarily and stood up. "I think I'll go now before you come up with a way to make me feel embarrassed for that comment."

"Why Jane, whatever would you mean?" I asked innocently.

"Shut up," she huffed, storming out of my room in a huff.

I laughed and shook my head. "Ah, sisters."

I sighed and started considering taking her advice. Crashing the Brandon's intended dinner party with the Witherdales sounded like a good idea, but I had to go about it the right way. I couldn't just show up, I had to do it at the right time and really rub it in their faces.

Normally I would try to be a bit nice in the event that I ever needed to do something along those lines—which I haven't—but given how much the Brandons hated my family and me in general after the hospital episode, I saw no reason to try faking it. I was going to walk up to their door, knock on it and ruin their attempt at setting up Alice and James. Consequences be damned.

I had to do it at the right moment and I needed to make sure my attempt wasn't ruined—not that a couple of whiny humans would be able to stop me, that is. Still, I didn't need them calling the police on me or them trying to block me from getting inside. I needed an inside person.

"Cynthia," I breathed, grinning. She was on Alice's side, it seemed, and thus she would be the best person to have answer the door. Then she would let me in without a problem and I'd be able to use my vampire charm to take care of the rest.

_Now how do I get in touch with her?_ I wondered. _Oh, wait. Duh._

I got off my bed and grabbed my cell phone, dialing Alice's number instantly. For a moment I considered the idea that I would be spoiling my plan to her, but knowing her, she either already knew or had a general idea of what I intended to do thanks to her psychic powers.

"_Hi Bella!" _Alice chirped into the phone seconds later.

"Hey, Alice," I greeted with a smile. "How's it going?"

"_Alright, I guess,"_ she answered. _"I'm a bit surprised you called me, actually."_

"You are?" I asked, noting the tone in her voice. "Why's that?"

"_I didn't see it,"_ she snickered. _"Normally I have a brief flash or daydream about moments when you'll call that last for a few seconds, but for once, I didn't. You must've made a snap decision to prevent me from seeing it coming. Cheater."_

I smiled. "I assure you, Alice, it wasn't my intention to psychic block you."

"_Ha ha,"_ she deadpanned, giggling seconds later. _"How can I help you, hot stuff?"_

I sat back down. "You can start by telling me what's wrong. I know something's bothering you and I'm guessing it's the same thing that was bothering you earlier, isn't it?"

She sighed. _"Yes, unfortunately. I can't stop dreading the idea of my parents forcing me to have a dinner date with James. He used to be a nice guy, but it's like he's become obsessed with me all of a sudden and it's made him super creepy. I can't stand him anymore. I think the worst part is that it's all part of my parents' and his parents' scheme of getting us together."_

"Not if I can help it," I said, scowling.

"_Oh?"_ She seemed intrigued. _"And what do you plan to do about it?"_

"Like you don't already know," I snorted.

"_Actually, I don't,"_ she admitted._ "For once, I can't tell what you plan to do, but that's because you haven't fully made up your mind yet. It's like you're involuntarily trying to prevent me from spoiling whatever you have planned. I kind of like it, to be honest."_

"That's different," I remarked.

"Well, sometimes I like to be surprised," Alice said. "Only by good surprises, though. Not bad ones like the one my parents laid out on me about James. Oh, and there's more bad news that I got when I came home from school today."

Great, I groaned in my head. "Dare I ask what it is?"

"_They've forbidden me from speaking to you outside of school,"_ she replied in a low voice, anger seeping through. _"I can't acknowledge you or any of the other Cullens ever again, even if my life depended on it. Apparently they've forgotten how you saved my life, which is typical since they only remember what they want to. I'm pissed."_

"Do you really plan to let them rule your life like this?" I asked, surprised at how unfazed I was at hearing the new information. Then again, it had only been a matter of time before her damned parents tried to stomp out any chance of us being together. Too bad it wouldn't work.

"_It's hard, Bella,"_ Alice replied. _"I mean, they piss me off and I really do dream about leaving, but they're still you parents, you know? What would you do if your parents prevented you from seeing me outside of school or ever again for that matter?"_

I nearly laughed, but I held it in. "For one thing, Carlisle and Esme would never force me to do anything, let alone try and prevent me from seeing my mate. If there was some strange, twisted alternate universe where that did occur, I would ignore them. I'm a rebel at heart, I suppose, and I'd follow my undead heart no matter what it wanted."

I could just imagine Alice smiling as she laughed. _"I'm glad to hear it, Bella."_

"Does that mean you plan to break the rules?" I asked.

"_If I have to, yes,"_ Alice replied. _"Fuck the consequences."_

I grinned. "Is it weird that I like hearing you swear?"

"_Kind of,"_ she giggled. _"But I'm cool with it. Did you call for any other reason?"_

"Yes, actually," I replied. "I was wondering if you'd be willing to give me your sister's cell phone number just in case I ever needed to call her for something. There may come a time when I can't reach you, so I'll need the next best person, or in her case, the _only_ next best person."

Alice giggled. _"Sure, I'll give her number."_ She whispered it into the phone and I immediately locked it into my brain—since vampires could remember anything without problem, there was no need to write it down or anything. _"Was there anything else?"_

"Do you want to talk for a while?" I asked.

"That would be nice," she replied. _"Tell me, Bella…what did you want to do on our first date when we got the chance to go out?"_

"I…" I paused. I hadn't even thought about what I planned to do with Alice on our first date, which I intended to have at some point this weekend even with the dinner problem. However, I had yet to decide what we would be doing. "It's a surprise, Alice. One you can't see."

Alice huffed and I was thankful she bought my fib. _"Fine, be that way."_

"I am that way," I replied. "You'd do the same thing and you know it."

"_Probably,"_ she said. _"But I'd at least give you a hint of some kind."_

"You'll enjoy yourself," I said, startled by my burst of confidence. "I guarantee it."

"_Of that, I have no doubt,"_ Alice replied with a smile in her voice. _"Um…hmm…"_ She stopped talking and I heard a noise on the other end. _"Crap. Bella, I hate to do this, but I have to cut this conversation a little short tonight. I'm sorry, but my parents…"_

"I know," I replied understandingly. "I love you."

"_I love you too,"_ she replied. _"Bye."_

She hung up and I ran a hand through my hair, debating over whether or not I wanted to call Cynthia now or wait until a later point. Seeing as how their parents had arrived back home, I decided against it and planned to call her at a later time. I still had two days, anyways.

Until then, I would need to keep my thoughts disorderly to prevent Alice from knowing what was going to happen. True, it might comfort her a bit to know I intended to spoil the dinner party, but I liked the idea of catching her by surprise. Although in truth, the reactions I couldn't wait to see would be those of her smug parents.

"I'll make them regret messing with a Cullen," I muttered under my breath.

At that point, I exited my room, wanting to find something to keep myself preoccupied. I was about to head downstairs when I saw Esme in the hallway, who also noticed me. She smiled and came over to hug me and placed a kiss on my forehead.

"Hello, dear," she said.

"Hi, mama," I replied.

"I heard from a little bird that you were planning something mischievous," Esme said, smiling with a hint of mirth in her eyes. "I can't help but wonder what you intend to do. I'm assuming it has to do with Alice, yes?"

"More or less," I replied, mentally scoffing at the "little bird" part. Damn Jane couldn't keep her mouth shut. "The Brandons are having some kind of dinner party thing with that jackass James guy and his family, but it's really just an excuse for them to fix the two up. Jane came up with the idea that I crash their little party and that's exactly what I plan to do."

"My, my," Esme remarked. "That sounds quite fun, actually. When is this?"

"Saturday night," I answered. "I have a few days of planning left."

She nodded understandingly. "Does Alice know?"

"I'm trying to prevent her from knowing," I admitted. "I haven't fully decided on how to go about doing it even though I plan to. It should be fun to see how the Brandons react when I come to spoil their stupid plan. Honestly, they're really annoying people."

"True," Esme agreed, sighing. "It's sad when people hate others without reason. They feel so threatened by us, yet we've never done anything outwardly to them." She paused, a smirk tugging at her lips. "Well, maybe that's a bit of a lie. I guess I should say we've never done anything outwardly that they can pin on us, shouldn't I?"

I snickered and heard a few other chuckles downstairs. "I'm pretty sure they've put two and two together even without proof. But that doesn't change the fact that they're going to do whatever it takes to keep Alice and I apart. They just now told her she couldn't see me outside of school."

"Well that stinks," Esme huffed, crossing her arms. "I'd say we should go talk to them about this, but to be completely honest, I'm getting fed up with their crap. If the try and get in the way of your love, you might as well snatch Alice away and bring her here."

My eyes widened. "You want me to kidnap Alice?"

"Is it truly kidnapping if you both want it?" Esme asked, arching a fine eyebrow. "From what I know of Alice, she wouldn't mind, would she? Besides, who wouldn't want to get away from overbearing, insignificant, close-minded assholes for parents? I would."

Hearing Esme swear was both funny and slightly scary at the same time. Then again, hearing Esme flat out admit that she hated the Brandons made me smile and her idea of kidnapping Alice—although I would prefer to call it "saving"—from her parents sounded interesting.

"Thanks for the idea, Esme," I said, hugging my mother once more.

"Any time, dear," she replied, squeezing me back. "And if the Brandons give you any shit about ruining their stupid plans or whatever, send them my way. I'll see to it they learn their place, mark my words. No one fucks with my family and gets away with. I may even have Jane give them a burst of pain to teach them a lesson…"

"YES!" Jane shouted downstairs.

I pulled away from my mother and eyed her. "Where did this Esme come from?"

"She's always been here," my mother replied with a wink. "I'm just tired of bullshit from people who don't deserve a shred of kindness. I even told Carlisle that the other day after we discussed what went on at the hospital. He agreed with me!"

All I did was stare at the dangerous look in Esme's eyes. Normally she and Carlisle were the most peaceful people in the house and often tried to avoid thinking violently, so hearing her actually threaten someone and knowing Carlisle agreed was frightening. At the same time, it made me smile evilly knowing they were on my side.

_As if they wouldn't be_, I commented in my head. "I like the change in you, Esme."

"Change?" she asked, frowning. "Whatever do you mean by that? I haven't changed at all."

"Uh huh," I replied, snickering more.

"Hey Belly-Button!" Rosalie said from downstairs. "You've got a phone call."

Esme glanced at me curiously. "Belly-Button?"

I sighed. "The girls in Denali came up with it as a nickname and it stuck. Jane brought it back with us despite swearing she wouldn't, so now I have to deal with hearing it from her and Rose."

Esme thought on it for a moment, then grinned. "I think Belly-Button is a cute nickname."

"Not when your sisters are bitches about it," I grumbled petulantly.

"Who are you calling a bitch, bitch?" Jane hissed.

"You, you little demon!" I replied, unable to stop myself from grinning.

Esme rolled her eyes. "Kids these days, I swear. You're all brats."

"But you love us," I remarked.

"True," she said, kissing my forehead again. "Alright, go ahead and see whose calling. We can talk more later about your plan if you'd like."

"Thanks, Esme," I said, smiling warmly at my mother before heading downstairs. I walked into the family room to see Rosalie talking on the phone, though she stopped when I sat next to her and handed me the phone. "Hello?"

"_Hey Belly-Button,"_ chimed Kate on the other end. _"Rosalie informed me that you were going to go out with your mate soon and said that you wanted advice on what to do with your first date?"_

I glanced at Rosalie, who was smiling smugly as usual. "Yes and no."

Kate laughed. _"It can either be one or the other, Belly. Not both."_

"Well, I haven't thought about what we would do, but I figured when the time came, I would come up with something," I replied. "Besides, I haven't had the chance to really get to know her yet and see what she likes. Once I have that, I would have a much better idea of what to do."

"_My suggestion is that you treat her right and make sure she has fun," _Kate said. _"Also, let her treat you good too. A relationship isn't fun if only one partner showers the other with love and affection, the other partner has to do it too. It's fairer that way. Oh, and while I'm at it, Amara and I are coming to visit you this weekend to meet your mate."_

I sputtered. "W-wait, what?"

"_You heard me,"_ Kate replied. _"Didn't we mention that we would come down once you two got together at last? Well, Amara got tired of waiting, so that's why we chose this weekend to visit."_

"Oh." I ran a hand through my hair. "Can it be Sunday? I've got plans for Saturday."

"_Fine with me,"_ Kate said. _"I can't wait to meet her, Belly."_

"Can you keep my, uh, nickname on the down low when you do?" I asked.

Kate snorted. _"Why, does it embarrass you?"_

"A little," I admitted sheepishly, my siblings laughing around me.

"_Good,"_ Kate laughed. _"Then we'll use it even more! Bye, Belly-Button!"_

"Damn it, Kate don't you—" She hung up before I could finish and I hissed, nearly breaking the phone in my hand. I would have had Rosalie not snatched it away in time, but I was still irritated, not so much by Kate hanging up on me as I was that she and Amara intended to further my embarrassment in front of Alice, which was not going to be fun.

"Poor Bella," Jasper chuckled. "Everyone's out to get her all of a sudden."

"You have my sympathy," Riley offered.

I groaned. "Why can't we go back to the days when Jane and Emmett were the butt monkeys of the family? Why do I have to take that role now? It's not fair, I tell you."

"Oh, quit bitching," Victoria teased, poking my stomach. "Em and Janie will take their rightful roles soon enough, we're just poking fun of you now because you found your mate. It's mostly because we're all happy you finally found your other half, even if she is a human who can see the future whose being controlled by her parents."

"I suppose you have a point," I mumbled. "Might as well make the best of it."

"Atta girl," Rosalie said, patting my shoulder. "So you're going to crash the party Saturday?"

"Yes," I replied.

"Sweet!" Emmett boomed. "Dude, can we come? I totally want to bust down their door and shit to scare the crap out of them. That would be so awesome to—"

"It's just me going, Em," I interjected smoothly. "Sorry bro, but I don't think it would work if anyone other than I went in. We'd just cause more trouble that way."

"So?" he asked. "Who cares if we cause trouble? It's not like we haven't dealt with worse before, right? Remember those dumb dogs over at the beach? They've caused us more hassles than anything, yet we're still here. What're a couple of stupid humans gonna do, anyways?"

"We have to look at this more sensitively, Em," Jasper stated. "Overstepping our boundaries at a time like this will have bad implications for Bella and Alice's growing relationship. You don't want the Brandons to move away, taking Alice with them, do you? Nor do you want to get the Quileutes involved, because we all know how good they are at finding things out."

"Let Bella have her moment," Riley added. "If the Brandons persist, we can figure out a way to deal with them that doesn't involve killing them, much as some of us may want that."

Jane snorted. "You're damn right I do."

"I doubt anyone would miss them," Rosalie stated. "But we'll hold off for now."

Emmett pouted. "Alright, have it your way." He looked at me. "Sorry, Bells. Do you at least want some assistance in case things go astray?"

"Nah," I replied. "I appreciate the offer, Em. Really, I do. But I'll be fine. All I have to do is play my cards right and I'll be able to ruin their evening perfectly."

The others laughed in agreement and the rest of the day passed by. There were two days remaining until Saturday, which left me a good amount of time to think to myself about what Alice and I could do for our first date. My main thing was ensuring that Alice enjoyed herself, but I knew I had to have fun too, like Kate said.

I kept my thoughts scattered, not wanting Alice to get a sneak peek of what I intended, mostly for dramatic effect when I saw her Saturday night. For the time being, I would simply relax and wait it out, though I knew I needed to speak with Cynthia at some point.

Soon enough, it was Friday. The day itself went by normally, with Alice and I using any chance we had to talk. I learned a good amount of information about her during this time since I was constantly barraging her with questions. She didn't seem to mind, however, and even told me that my curiosity was endearing. I could tell she had a lot of questions too, though.

I learned that Alice was very much like Rosalie when it came to fashion. She knew tons of brands and designers and loved to be stylish whenever she walked out the door. Alice commented that she would be more than happy to give me fashion tips—personally, I didn't see what was wrong with what I wore, but I was curious about what she had in mind.

I also learned that Alice had a lot of similar interests with me. We liked the same kinds of music, enjoyed fast cars and, strangely enough, had the same favorite animal: a cheetah. She also liked ballet, reality tv shows, action movies and collecting dolls, which she was secretive about.

"Don't tell anyone, please?" she asked when she told me. "The last thing I need is people finding out I still play with Barbie dolls, but I can't help myself. I love dressing them up and making up little dramas for them, like right now, Barbie is married with another girl named Stacy and Ken is her ex and he finds out and gets really jealous about it, so…"

Alice went on about it and while I did find it strange, I was also strangely captivated by it. I loved how creative she was and I found her blushing adorable as she explained all the little details to me and I watched her in content silence.

Throughout the day, I kept an eye on whether or not Alice seemed to know of my plan to rescue her from her dinner dilemma—which Emmett referred to it as—but she never did. If anything, she was too busy answering my questions. I was thankful, but I didn't eliminate the possibility that she did know and was simply trying to humor me.

By the time school ended, I'd amassed a whopping amount of information about my mate, all of which was important to me. It made me happy knowing I'd learned a lot about Alice and I definitely had leads for what we could do when we went out on our first date together, which I hoped would happen soon. I wouldn't let her parents stand in my way, either.

As I drove home with Rosalie and Emmett, I decided to call Cynthia. I dialed her number and waited several seconds for her to answer her phone.

"_Hello?"_ she asked.

"Hello Cynthia," I replied. "It's Bella Cullen."

"_Bella?"_ She seemed confused. _"Um, hi. How can I help you?"_

"I was wondering if you would do me a favor," I said. "And please don't tell your sister."

"Okay," she replied. "What can I do for you?"

"I'll get straight to the point," I said. "Alice told me about your parents' plan to hook her and James up over dinner this weekend. I've decided I'm going to make an unscheduled appearance to ruin their plan and spend some time with Alice. I would really appreciate any help you can give me and I'd love if you were the one to answer the door when I arrive."

"_Really now?"_ Now she sounded intrigued. _"That sounds like a wonderful idea. I'm sure Alice would love for you to show up and save her from James. Sure, I'll do whatever I can to help."_

We talked for about ten more minutes, even after I got home with my siblings. I walked in with them and sat on the couch in the family room talking a bit with Cynthia. She was a very nice girl and a lot like Alice, but there was a significant difference to her personality. Either way, I was glad to have another ally and someone I could trust to help us out.

"Are you sure we can trust her?" Rosalie asked after I closed my phone.

"I don't see why we couldn't," I replied. "Why?"

"I don't know," Rosalie replied. "I don't trust anyone I'm not acquainted with, I guess."

"I'm sure it'll work out fine," I said.

"Just be careful," my sister said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Don't let your anger get the best of you when you run into that asshole."

I nodded. "I won't kill him, Rose. I'll just threaten him a little if it comes to it."

My words were semi-truthful at best; I hated James. I had this bad vibe about him and while I did want him gone, I wouldn't kill the creep. It would go against everything Carlisle and Esme stood for. However, I would do more than threaten him if I needed to since he didn't seem capable of taking a simple hint. I wouldn't let him try and take Alice, that's all there was to it.

_No_, I said, mentally smacking myself. _I can't think like that. Alice does not belong to me, she's her own free person and I have to respect that fact. I won't treat her like property. She's my mate and my friend, the person I'm meant to spend eternity with. James won't intrude on that._

Hours ticked by and all I could think about was Saturday night. Jasper sent me waves of calm to help me out, which I was thankful for, but I was still antsy. Saturday soon came and I went out into the woods with Jasper and Riley to hunt since feeding would help keep my vampiric side under control if things became too hostile.

I took down two deer, then ran back home to clean myself up. My family members gave me words of encouragement, reminding me that I wasn't going to a vampire firing squad, I was interrupting what was going to be a fixed moment caused by Alice's parents.

I thanked them and waited until I received a text from Cynthia. _James and his parents just arrived outside, Bella. If you intend to ruin their evening, I'd suggest coming in about ten minutes. Thanks again for doing this. I'm not a big fan of James either_.

_Thanks, Cynthia_, I texted back. _I owe you one._

_Just promise me you'll be good to my little sister_, she replied. _That's all I ask for._

_I promise_, was my response.

I waited ten minutes, then ran outside and jumped into my car. I made sure I looked alright in the mirror—having allowed Rosalie and Victoria to help choose out my attire and style my hair—grinned, then drove off to Alice's house at a less than safe speed.

"Oh well," I chuckled.

I slowed down to a painstaking speed as I neared Alice's home and parked my car near their driveway, but not too close for anyone to notice. Stealthily I exited my vehicle and crept towards the house, moving in close to see if I could hear anything from outside. How could I not?

"It's so good to see you again, Harvey, Delilah," Mr. Brandon said loudly, to the point where I could hear him perfectly through the window, which was only open a crack. "It's been ages since we all got together, hasn't it?"

"Indeed it has," a woman replied, whom I assumed was James' mother.

I could tell by the noises being made that they were at the table getting ready to begin their dinner and wondered how they planned on turning it into a dinner date for Alice and James. It wasn't like they would just openly walk away, was it? Unlikely.

"The meal looks wonderful, Mr. and Mrs. Brandon," said James. I cringed at the sound of his voice and held in the need to growl. God, I hated the bastard's voice. "You look lovely tonight, Mary. Very lovely. Do you think we could head outside together?"

"Thank you, but I'll pass," Alice replied sweetly.

"Nonsense, Mary!" her mother replied. "In fact, we set up a special table for you and James outside. You should indulge the man, he asked very politely."

_There's my cue_, I thought, straightening up and heading to the door. I knocked on it several times and waited patiently for it to open. Lo and behold, Cynthia opened it, a grin on her face that she was desperately trying to hide. "Hello, Cynthia. How are you doing?"

"Well, thank you," she replied.

"Cynthia, who is it?" Mr. Brandon barked.

"We have a guest," Cynthia replied.

All at once, everyone came to the door, Alice's eyes widening in genuine shock to see me. Her parents were both infuriated at the sight, whereas James' parents looked oblivious and James appeared utterly terrified, especially when I glanced at him.

"Hello," I greeted them innocently. "Am I interrupting something?"

**A/N: Hello everyone reading this that doesn't hate me. It's been...a long time. I know. I have no excuses. I apologize. I've been busy working on my novel these past few months, which is why Broken Aurora was put on the backburner. And to be honest with you, I've forgotten a lot about what I had planned for the story. But I'm not going to give up on it. In fact, in light of recent reviews and the fact that I finished book two in my planned series, I've decided to dedicate this month to working on Broken Aurora in order to bring it back to life and show my readers that I'm still here.**

**I'd like to say that this is un-beta-ed because I haven't spoken with my beta in months (megster, you out there somewhere?) and if this isn't as on par with the rest of my chapters, I take full responsibility. You can imagine it being odd to come back to a story that hasn't been touched in a while. Needless to say, this not a one-chapter-in-twenty-years-figuratively-speaking thing, I promise. I'm actually beginning 28 as I type this up. Needless to say, I will give it some needed attention for a good while.**

**Special shout outs to several people. First, to the people who reviewed and said they still liked the story recently, I appreciate all of you and am just too lazy to respond to each individual review, which I aim to fix. Second, to lemonelephant, author of Moondance, which I've allowed Amara to appear in, for helping to inspire me to get back into fan fiction. Third, A.S. Rainwater, because she's awesome. Fourth, to MyTwiDreams, whom I know is going through a tough time and I sent a pm to to give her a boost in confidence and finally, the poetry of ink, whom I might be collaborating with in the not-too-distant future.**

**For now, I bid you adieu. If you haven't forgotten me yet, I appreciate it and I hope you can forgive me. Thanks for the continued support. **


	28. Party Crasher

**Disclaimer: Meyer owns Twilight. I own my stuff. Again.**

**Party Crasher**

"Cullen," Mrs. Brandon hissed. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"Cullen?" Harvey Witherdale asked, frowning. "I feel like I've heard the name before…"

"Hello," I said, smiling.

"Get out of here," Mr. Brandon ordered.

"Mother, Father!" Cynthia chided. "We can't turn away a guest like this, can we? After all, she didn't know we were having dinner, she probably came by to visit."

Her parents looked like they were about to blow a gasket at the fact that she was standing up for me, not to mention my overall presence at their doorstep. Alice couldn't take her eyes off me and I ultimately allowed mine to meet hers. There was a mixture of emotions swirling in them, all of them positive as she fought the smile that nearly formed on her lips.

It was a good thing too since her parents both glared at her to see whether or not she'd known about my intent to come. Her face betrayed nothing and, after a few moments, the two seemed even more irritated by the fact that I'd come of my own free will out of the blue on the night they planned to push Alice and James together.

"Ah, I remember!" Delilah Witherdale remarked. "You're the rich family, aren't you? The one whose father works at the hospital or something like that, yes?"

"That's correct, ma'am," I replied. "May I come in?"

Mrs. Brandon gritted her teeth. "You most certainly—"

"Don't you remember, Mother?" Cynthia asked. "You invited her here."

"What?" the father asked, whirling on his wife, who looked utterly oblivious.

"I did no such thing," she frantically replied, scowling at her daughter. "What the hell are you talking about, Cynthia? Have you gone daft in the head? I never once—"

"Then why do I have this?" I asked, reaching into my pocket to pull out a folded slip of paper that I briskly unfolded and showed them.

It was a fake dinner invitation that Jasper and I had created the other day for the cover I planned on using when I showed up at their doorstep. We'd copied their handwriting—which we knew from a previous encounter—and forged a letter inviting me to dinner. The fact that the Witherdales would see it as well would likely seal my entrance.

"I'm sorry I'm late," I said as Cynthia took the letter and showed it to her parents, who snatched it away to scan it a hundred times over. "I got a little caught up in traffic. You wouldn't believe how lousy traffic is at this time of night. All those hoodlums driving around drunk…it's a bit scary, but I got here in one piece. May I come in?"

My acting was spot on because the Witherdales bought my act without a shred of doubt. Cynthia sold it as well by insisting that she'd seen her parents write and send the letter out to me while Alice remained silent, trying her hardest not to run over and kiss me, a mutual feeling. James was quiet as well, scowling at the floor rather than me. He knew better, for once.

"Let the poor girl in," Harvey said. "The food's getting cold."

"Come in," the Brandon parents grunted under their breath, clearly struggling to restrain their animosity towards me as they walked off with the letter, likely to continue examining it as they wracked their brains for any memory of creating it.

I walked in and shut the door behind me as James, Cynthia and the Witherdales followed them, leaving Alice and I alone for a moment. She peered over her shoulder to ensure that no one else was around, then flung herself at me almost too fast for me to react to. I did, however, and caught her, greeting her with a kiss to her forehead, then lips.

"Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit!" she squealed excitedly. "How did you…? Why did…? Oh, who gives a damn, you're here!" She hugged me as tight as she could—which I knew from the way her body tensed up against mine—and kissed all over my neck. "Thank, you Bella. Thank you."

"Relax, Alice," I whispered, smiling. "Jeez, girl, you're acting like they were going to slaughter you and bury your remains or something. I thought it was going to be a plain, boring dinner date where the parents constantly yakked about how good you two would be together, that's all."

Alice scoffed. "Hardly. Trust me, Bella, your arrival is my saving grace." She paused. "I can't believe I didn't see this coming. I mean, I'm kind of glad I did, because if I hadn't, I wouldn't have been able to keep a straight face, but still. I wonder if my powers are failing me…"

I snickered. "Maybe I'm just too indecisive for you."

Alice stuck her tongue out at me. "C'mon, let's get in there before my parents get even more pissed off and come to see what the holdup is."

We walked into the kitchen together, Alice sitting beside Cynthia while she indicted the chair next to her for me. I smiled and sat down, aware of the numerous looks I was getting from the four parents surrounding me. The Brandons were still angry while the Witherdales looked confused, intrigued and mildly annoyed.

"So tell us, Miss Cullen," Delilah said, sticking her nose into the air fancily. "What's it like to have all that money? Do you have an expensive car? I'm sure it's nice."

"We don't flaunt our money," I replied. "But I do have a nice car, yes. It's probably the most expensive thing I own. I prefer to save my money, it's more useful that way." My eyes flashed to Alice's and she smiled. "Besides, we're not greedy people. Money doesn't bring us that type of happiness like most would think. It's just an object."

I was no philosopher and I would happily be the first to admit to it, but what I was saying was very true. Many humans envied us for our money, but it wasn't that big of a deal. We liked having money, sure, but was it necessary to make us happy? No, it wasn't.

"I find that hard to believe," Harvey remarked. "Money is everything in this world. The more you have of it, the more powerful you are. Isn't that right, Delilah?"

"Yes, it is," she replied.

_Typical snobs_, I thought to myself. "Well, I have my own feelings on it."

"Are we going to eat?" Alice asked. "I'm starved."

"Hmm, yes," her father replied, eyeing me warily. "Will you be eating as well, Cullen?"

"Her name is _Bella_," Alice spoke up, scowling at her parents. Her mother shot her a reproving look, but it did little to faze her as she turned to me. "So Bella, are you hungry?"

"No thank you," I replied politely. "You see, I ate before I came because I didn't know from the invitation that this was a dinner party. I thought it was simply a get together. My apologies. But please, feel free to eat, I'll take a glass of water."

Moments later, I was handed a glass of water as everyone began eating. The stench of their food made me want to gag—if a vampire could gag, that is—but I managed to keep myself from reacting negatively since it likely would have seemed suspicious. Instead, I focused mostly on acting human by doing human things like breathing, blinking and fidgeting ever so often.

My eyes moved around the table as everyone else ate in silence. I drank a bit of my water—water was one of the few things a vampire could indulge themselves on without consequences, even though we never needed it—waiting for someone to say something. I was half surprised—

"So James, what was it you suggested before we were _interrupted_?" Mr. Brandon asked, stressing the last word in his sentence in a low hiss.

James cleared his throat awkwardly and fumbled his fork. "I, uh…I was just asking Alice if she wanted to, maybe, uh, head outside or something or maybe, I don't know, go out some time on a drive…I just think it would be…nice."

His eyes kept shooting back to me every few seconds as he spoke, watching my reaction. I merely narrowed my eyes at him, which was more than enough to shake his resolve. It amazed me how someone could go from being cocky and creepy to turning into a stuttering fool, but then, given his track record, I expected it.

"And I believe I said no," Alice replied smoothly. She sounded suave and confident in herself, like my presence had given her an ego boost to the tenth power. And I liked it. "I'm sorry, James. I appreciate the offer, but I must decline."

"Why?" he asked, frowning.

"Because," she replied. "I know this whole thing was planned for us to get together, but I'm not really interested in you anymore. You've shown your true colors, James and I can't say I like them very much. So I'm sorry, but no."

"Mary!" her mother hissed. "What did we—"

"So Cynthia, how are you doing?" I interjected smoothly, ignoring the glares I got and trying not to smile as I turned to Alice's sister.

"Fine," she replied after a moment. "I can't complain, I guess."

"Do you have your own car?" I inquired. "I've seen Alice's Porsche and it's awesome, what about you? I'm sure yours is just as awesome, if not more."

"I have a Porsche too, actually," she informed me with a smile. "But mine is newer and much cooler than Alice's. Plus, it doesn't have an obnoxious yellow color, but a much more mellow blue." She glanced at her sister, who shot her a dirty look. "What? Your car is obnoxious!"

"_You're_ obnoxious," Alice huffed petulantly.

Mr. Brandon cleared his throat. "Excuse me, but we were in the middle of—"

"I like Alice's car," I said. "But I have to agree on the color. It's so…bright. I mean, how can you not be blinded by it every time you look at it, especially in the sun?"

Alice scowled at me. "Whose side are you on?"

"I'm on no one's side," I replied, grinning. She was cute when she got flustered. "I'm merely saying that your car is obnoxiously colored, that's all."

"At least mine's fast," Alice snorted. "Faster than your crappy…whatever that is."

Cynthia and I laughed at her growing frustration as I briefly looked around the table at the remaining people present. Alice and Cynthia's parents were seething where they sat, about ready to burst into flames at any given second and the Witherdales were clearly getting more annoyed that their original plan was being foiled by me.

"That's it!" Mr. Brandon roared. "Get out of my house, Cullen!"

"Whatever for?" I asked innocently, pretending like I couldn't tell he was pissed._ God, I am loving this shit. I should've brought a video camera to show the others. Ha!_

"For disrupting our dinner and ruining _everything_!" the mother spat. "This was supposed to be a get together between old friends while we gave our Mary the chance at happiness with the Witherdales' wonderful son, James! Now leave, damn you!"

I smiled at her. "No thank you, Mrs. Brandon. I appreciate the offer, though."

Mr. Brandon threw his dishes into the air and slammed his fists on the table as he speedily came to stand near me, clearly attempting to threaten me with his less than impressive physique. The emotions in his eyes were pure rage and malice and, under normal circumstances, a typical human girl would likely have been worried for her safety.

I wasn't human, though, nor typical in any way. I simply drank the rest of my water, entertained by the feeling of the oddly temperatured liquid as it traveled down my throat. I did notice, however, that Alice and Cynthia had tensed up and stopped eating. Alice looked especially tense, which I found strange because she knew I was a vampire.

Mr. Brandon breathed raggedly beside me. "Get the fuck out of my house or I'll—"

"You'll what?" I interrupted, eyeing him curiously. "Strike me? A young woman? You'll throw me out? Call the cops when I've done nothing wrong or illegal? I don't know, Mr. Brandon, I find it hard to believe that you would do anything. What are you getting so mad for, anyways?"

"Bella," Alice whispered, worry in her voice.

Realizing that my acting was worrying my mate, I dropped the innocence. "Look, Mr. Brandon, I want to make myself perfectly clear," I said, staring back into his fury-filled eyes. "I really don't give a shit about what you intended to do tonight. I don't care about you, your bitch wife or your idiot friends over there who clearly only care about themselves. None of you matter to me."

"No, I'm here to make sure you don't stick your daughter, who you treat like crap, might I say, with a conniving, gutless little jackass like James." I jabbed a finger at the blonde-haired boy, who flinched in fear of me. "He's worthless and deranged, I can tell. He probably does drugs and I wouldn't be surprised if he was into getting drunk, too. Is that what you want for Alice?"

"It's none of your fucking concern," Mrs. Brandon snarled.

"Oh, but it is," I said. "You see, I'm Alice's friend. In fact, I'd like to be more than her friend, but you paranoid, close-minded, homophobic jackasses would flip your lid at the very idea. Then again, I don't really care because I'm not afraid of you. Mr. Brandon, Mrs. Brandon, I have an announcement I'd like to make: I'm in love with your daughter."

The room fell completely silent. No one moved or said anything and I wondered how long it would take for Mr. and Mrs. Brandon to recoil in horror and start whining about how terrible it was that their daughter had attracted my attention.

I glanced at Alice out of the corner of my eyes and saw that she was smiling. There was obvious worry on her face, but she was genuinely happy and the smile was nearly face splitting in size, a sight that made me smile, though I dropped it quickly.

"THAT'S IT!" roared Mr. Brandon, grabbing me by the shirt and pulling me up. "GET OUT OF MY HOUSE THIS INSTANT OR—"

"LET GO OF HER!" Alice snarled, zipping through the air to smack her father across the face, causing him to release me and literally stumble backwards to the ground.

I turned to gape at Alice in utter astonishment as she glared her father down, hands quivering from striking the man. Her mother's eyes were wider than the overly expensive plates on the table and the Witherdales were left speechless by the display, especially James, who had the strangest glint in his eyes at my revelation.

I didn't pay any attention to him, however, and instead stood up and came to Alice's side, gently placing a hand on her shoulder to ensure that she knew I was there for her. Alice's heart was thundering in her chest and, for a brief moment, my inner beast wanted out, but I struck her back and focused on the situation at hand. Alice was more important right now.

"You…" Mr. Brandon's words seemed to disappear as he slowly stood up, touching his stricken cheek as though he'd never been hit before.

"I'm sorry, Father," Alice said, her voice strained. "But I couldn't sit idly by while you physically threatened one of my friends, _especially_ Bella. That's not right. You _never_ put your hands on a woman like that, _**EVER**_. That's just…wrong!"

I squeezed her shoulder and watched her father warily. Normally when human males were struck in some way, they felt threatened because of some machismo crap I didn't understand. What I did understand was that Alice's father had a temper on him and part of me feared he would take his aggression out on Alice or Cynthia, neither of whom I wanted to be hurt.

_Worst case scenario, I'll take them both with me and leave_, I thought. _I won't bother holding back with Cynthia if it came to that since she's Alice's sister and would likely find out what I am eventually anyways. So long as they're both safe, I don't care about the others._

"How _dare_ you," Mrs. Brandon hissed, standing up. "You ungrateful little _bitch_! How dare you hit your father like that! Who the fuck do you think you are? And for what? Because this _dyke_ proclaimed her love for you? You disgust me, Mary. You had better get on your knees and apologize this very instant, or so help me—"

"You'll do what?" I asked in a low voice. Hearing her call me a dyke hit a few nerves inside of me, but the way she talked to her daughter like she was trash was what really pissed me off. I brushed past Alice and slowly walked up to Mrs. Brandon, staring into her eyes as a growl threatened to escape my lips. I held it in, though barely.

"I wasn't talking to you, _Cullen_," she hissed, trying to be threatening like her husband. It was failing miserably, just as his attempt had.

"You're talking to me now, aren't you?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

"Perhaps you could hold off on this?" Harvey asked. "I think what we need is a moment to gather our thoughts while we—"

"Shut up," I growled, shooting him a look. He quieted immediately and shrank into his seat along with his wife and irritating son, who had yet to budge an inch from his current position.

"You don't frighten me," Mrs. Brandon said, moving to meet me face on.

Even though she was several inches taller than me—four inches to be precise; she was Esme's height of 5'8—I could tell she was lying. For one thing, she was starting to sweat and fidget, but if those weren't surefire giveaways, the look in her eyes was.

"You know, my family has been putting up with you for a long time now," I said. "To be completely honest with you? You and your husband are garbage as far as I'm concerned, hardly worth our time. Yet garbage still stinks and you've certainly proved that theory tonight. Right now, I would love to do nothing more than teach you ingrates a lesson. I won't, though."

Mrs. Brandon swallowed nervously. "T-that's right you won't, I'll have the cops—"

"The cops don't frighten me," I said. "My parents have saved their lives more times than you could probably count, so if anything, they'd be more inclined to believe side with me. And you know what? You don't frighten me either, Mrs. Brandon, you or your bumbling husband. No, I think it should be the opposite. You should be frightened of _me_."

"Because trust me; I'm the last person you want to piss off. For one thing, I'm in love with your daughter, but more than that, you've insulted me, threatened me and probably would do even more if you had the guts for it. And in case you've forgotten, I have one of the most influential families in this state, too. They won't be happy to hear about this, I'm sure."

Mrs. Brandon hesitantly took several steps back, fear flashing across her face. My voice was surprisingly calm, yet the icy tone in it was something I'd picked up from Rosalie. It helped strike fear into the hearts of humans, which it did without fail to both Brandon parents and the Witherdales, who acted like they wanted to leave.

"Witherdales," I said, turning my head to glance at them. "I suggest you leave. I could care less about you and your idiot son, my problem is with these two fools. Beat it."

"Uh…" Delilah blinked and stood up. "Well, dinner was lovely and we hope to visit again sometime in the future. Come along James and Harvey, let's go home."

"Just a damned moment!" Mr. Brandon shouted. "Who the hell do you think you are coming into my house uninvited and ordering our guests? You miserable bitch, I'll call the cops this moment you'll rot in prison for the rest of your pathetic life!"

"Okay," I replied, shrugging. "If you say so."

Mr. Brandon gritted his teeth viciously and turned on his youngest daughter. "And you, young lady, are hereby grounded for four months, stripped of your license and being removed from Forks High effective immediately! I'll see to it that you—"

I interrupted him by grabbing a glob of disgusting food in my hand and flinging at his face, resulting in a very satisfying noise made as Mr. Brandon toppled backwards in surprise. I didn't even bother hiding my grin anymore. This was so much fun!

Mr. Brandon wiped his face off and I swear his skin looked redder than I'd ever thought a human's face could turn. He let out a garbled bellow and flipped the table over, startling both his wife and his guests, who had yet to leave the house yet.

"THAT'S IT!" he roared at the top of his lungs.

He barreled towards me at a surprisingly fast speed, but Alice jumped in his way. "No, Father!" she shouted, holding her arms out to block me. That snapped me out of my fun-phase and I jumped to my feet as the bastard lifted his arm to swing it at her. I was standing in front of her in seconds, catching his arm with ease, startling him and Alice.

I let out a low growl and gripped his wrist tightly. "That's out of line."

He tried to free himself from my grip, but failed. "LET ME GO!" he shouted.

"No," I replied, cocking my left fist back. "I think not."

I smashed my fist into his face, breaking his nose and knocking him to the ground. I watched him bash his head against the floor as blood began pouring out of his nose, which I grimaced at. His wife gasped and went to his side as I stepped away from him, turning to face Alice since I would be less tempted to drain the bastard dry if I couldn't see his blood.

"Bella…" Alice whispered, a whirlwind of emotions in her pulsing eyes.

"Sorry," I grunted out, trying not to breathe through my nose. "I couldn't let him hurt you. Don't worry, I barely used any of my strength. He'll be out for a while and wake up with a nasty headache and a broken nose, among other things."

Personally, I wanted to do more to him for threatening both me and Alice, but I knew if I did he would be a dead man by the time I'd finished. I decided that now would probably be the best time to leave since if I stayed things would only get worse for Alice and her sister.

_I can't leave them here_, I thought. _There's no way in hell I can after seeing that._

"Damn," Cynthia breathed. It was the first words she'd spoken in quite some time and she didn't seem all that choked up about what I'd done, either.

I glanced between her and her sister before sighing. "Alice, I—"

She cut me off by jumping up to press her lips to mine. For a brief moment, I was caught off guard, but I recovered quickly and deepened the kiss as my arms curled around hers. I didn't care who saw, I was happy to have my mate's lips against mine.

We held the kiss for several minutes before breaking away, Alice beaming at me. "Thank you."

"For what?" I asked.

"What you did," she replied. "You stood up for me…and I really appreciate it."

"It's the least I could do for you," I said. "Besides, what was I supposed to do? Sit down and let your bastard father strike you? Your parents force you into a relationship with that spineless freak of nature? Honestly, Alice, I couldn't let any of that happen."

She hugged me tightly. "Still, I appreciate it. More than you could ever know."

I pressed a kiss to her forehead and caught sight of Cynthia smiling. When I turned to look at the Brandon parents, however, there were no smiles. Mr. Brandon was still unconscious, but Mrs. Brandon was both disgusted and infuriated, turning red-faced like her husband had.

The Witherdales were gone now, even James. I was glad since dealing with him was a royal pain in the ass, but more than that, he irked me to no end with his presence. Even with them gone, though, I needed to make a decision on what to do and soon. And no matter what I decided, it had to involve Alice and Cynthia getting the hell out of here.

Alice gasped behind me and I turned to see her eyes were glazed over. When they returned to normal, she frowned for a moment, then turned to her sister.

"Cynthia," she said. "I hate to say this, but I think I'm not going to be seeing you again."

Cynthia's eyes widened. "Say what?"

"I'm…" She turned to look at me and I realized she had a vision. "I'm leaving."

"Oh." Cynthia scowled. "Do you really think you're leaving without me?"

"But Cynth—" Alice stopped herself. "What the hell am I talking about? Of course you're going with me, I'm not leaving my big sister behind in this hellhole!" She snorted and turned to me. "Is it okay if we come to stay with your family for a while?"

"Certainly," I replied, smiling. "They wouldn't mind at all."

"WHAT?" shrieked Mrs. Brandon. "What in the hell are you talking about? If you leave this household, you can never return, either of you!"

The girls just stared at her. "Is that supposed to be a punishment?" Cynthia asked. "Because if it is, I'll gladly take it if it means I never have to come back here again. I hate this place, I hate living with you and Father and, quite frankly, I'm not fond of either of you."

"Cynthia!" Mrs. Brandon gasped. "How could you say such things?"

"Easily," she replied. "I just did, didn't I?"

"I'm with Cynthia," Alice said. "You stink as parents _and_ as people."

"Go and get your things," I said. "Pack what you can, then take it out to my car. It's parked nearby. I'll take you to my place and you'll see what it's like to have parents who give a damn and not live under a tyrant's roof."

Alice pulled Cynthia along and they ran upstairs, leaving only me and their parents. Mrs. Brandon gave me the dirtiest look she could, but it did little other than amuse me. I crossed my arms and waited for about ten minutes before the girls came down with two suitcases, one in each hand, chock full of things.

"What about our other things?" Cynthia asked. "There's still more…"

"I wouldn't worry about it," Alice reassured her, winking at me. "We'll get them." Cynthia didn't seem to fully believe her, but said nothing more. "Bella, are you coming with us?"

"One moment," I said, pulling my keys out. "Here."

"Am I supposed to hold them in my mouth?" she asked, lifting an eyebrow. "Kidding. Put them in my pocket, please and thank you."

I stashed my keys in her pocket and watched as the two girls exited their house, making a mental note to have my siblings grab the rest of their belongings later on in the night. With that dealt with, I turned to face Mrs. Brandon, who was on her feet now, glancing at her phone.

"I wouldn't bother," I said. "I'm leaving now, so you might as well forget about it. And your daughters are coming with me to stay with my family. They'll be better off that way because you're shitty parents, just like they said. I hope someday your tiny brain will come to realize how much of a fool you are, Mrs. Brandon. But I wouldn't count on it."

I turned and slowly moved towards the door. "You'll pay for this," Mrs. Brandon hissed.

"Doubtful," I snorted, opening and slamming the door shut as I walked outside.

I walked down the stairs and glanced around to make sure that Alice and Cynthia were in my car waiting, which I could see from where I stood. Smiling, I made my way towards my car when I heard a loud honk and paused. My nose wrinkled when I caught wind of James' scent, at which point I looked over my shoulder to see him glaring at me from his car.

"Hey Cullen!" he snapped, sounding more confident for some reason. "You think you're so great, don't you? Well you're not! Just because you've manipulated Alice into liking you doesn't mean it will last forever, bitch! I'll get her back, you can count on it! Alice Brandon is mine! Do you hear me? MINE. You'll see. She'll see too. Mine!"

With a loud guffaw, he sped off into the night and I felt the urge to chase after his car and destroy it to shut him up, but I pushed it aside and headed to my car instead. When I got in, Alice handed me the keys from the passenger's side, smirking at me.

"You're awesome, I hope you know that," she said.

I started my baby and grinned. "Why thank you, Alice."

"You're supposed to tell me I'm awesome back," she informed me, scowling. "I happen to like having my ego fed because, let's face it, I AM awesome."

"Oh, brother," Cynthia groaned.

"Hush, Cynthia," Alice grumbled.

I laughed and started driving back home, knowing this would cause a bit of a problem if I didn't forewarn my family that they would now have two humans living with them. Since Cynthia was still out of the loop, it would mean keeping a low profile until we decided to tell her about us being vampires, which I figured would happen in the end.

I grabbed my cell while I drove with one hand and speedily dialed home. _"Hello?"_ Riley answered. _"Cullen residence, may I help you?"_

"Hey Riley," I replied speedily, too quiet for either human to hear. "Listen, I'm bringing Alice and her sister Cynthia to our place. I'll explain everything later, but they'll be staying with us for a while if Carlisle and Esme okay it, which I'm sure they will. Would you inform the others so they know what to expect when I get home, please?"

"_Certainly,"_ he replied casually. _"I'm assuming the dinner party was a success, then?"_

"You could say that," I answered, smirking. "Thanks, Riley. Later."

"_Later,"_ he said before hanging up.

Normally, I wouldn't make a snap decision like this without first consulting Carlisle and Esme since it was their house and their roof. However, I knew in my heart that they would say yes since they knew Alice was my mate and they wouldn't turn a genuinely kind person—or kind people, as it were—away from receiving some kind of aid.

The others would be mixed about it, I was certain, but when I explained the situation to them, I was certain they'd understand, especially when they heard I knocked Mr. Brandon out cold. I was sure to get a few grins from that, without a doubt.

The only real problem would be how to deal with Cynthia. I decided I would pull Alice aside and ask her if she could see what would happen if we chose to tell Cynthia what we were, perhaps even in the long run, although I doubted even she would be able to know. Still, it was worth a shot and I knew Cynthia would have to find out eventually.

I pulled my car to a stop moments later and smiled when Cynthia and Alice gasped. "This is where you guys live?" Cynthia asked. "This place is fucking huge!"

"Tell me about it," Alice agreed.

I shut my car off and snickered. "Welcome to your new home, ladies."

**A/N: You see? I told you I was being legit, didn't I? I realize a lot of my old readers didn't say anything and I can understand; I'm sure some of you felt I was going to post one chapter, then leave again like I did before. But I did not, as promised. April is going to be focused solely on my fan fiction. I will not touch my novel until afterwards. This means that there is a chance I may leave for an extended period of time again once April is finished, but I'll always return to ensure that this story is finished.**

**So yes, now Alice and Cynthia will be staying with the Cullens. Where it will go from here? Well, that's anyone's guess. I will likely have an update for you within the end of the week, so everyone knows. Thank you to those of my readers (old and new) still with me, I really appreciate it. I hope this proves my intent to keep up with this story.**

**Random note, I would be interested in having a new Beta since my other one seems to have fallen off the planet for the time being. If you're interested, please let me know in a review and I will pm you to go from there. If you spy any errors in this chapter or the previous, feel free to let me know, too, please. I tend to miss things because I type super fast and think as I go, so sometimes I may completely miss something otherwise obvious. Thank you.**


	29. Minor Issues

**Disclaimer: Twilight is owned by Meyer. My characters and ideas belong to me. **

**Minor Issues**

"Are you out of your fucking mind?" Jane asked, staring at me with wide eyes.

"Didn't you already ask me that?" I inquired back.

It was an hour after the events at the Brandon household and Cynthia and Alice were adjusting to their room upstairs, which Carlisle and Esme had cleared out for them shortly before I arrived back home. As I'd expected, they were pleased, but not all my siblings were.

"I really wish you'd told us this beforehand," Rosalie remarked. "I get that Alice is your mate, fine, and I wouldn't want my mate to be in an abusive household, but come on, Bella! Think before you act sometimes! And yes, I know it's the pot calling the kettle black. I have no room to say it, but I am anyways because I can. God gave us mouths for a reason."

"Yeah he did," Emmett crooned, wiggling his eyebrows.

I smacked my forehead. "Really, Em? Really?"

"What?" he asked. "It's her fault, not mine."

"He's right, I did mean that as a double entendre," Rosalie admitted with a smirk.

"We don't want to know," Jane grunted. "And at any rate, again, are you crazy? How can we have two humans in our house? We won't be able to do anything around them and when we _do_ need to do vampire stuff, like, say, _feed_, what do we tell them?"

I rolled my eyes. "Jane, there are tons of excuses to use and even so, only Cynthia would need to hear the cover story since Alice knows what we are, remember?"

"What's to stop her from telling her sister?" Victoria inquired.

I shrugged. "Beats me, but I doubt she would without our consent."

"I'm guessing she'll find out eventually," Riley remarked. "Considering the fact that Alice will become a vampire in the future to be with you, it seems only fair that her sister be given that same chance. And in order for that to happen, she has to learn about us."

Riley's words hit me in an odd way and I furrowed my brow. Then I realized something I hadn't thought about much, if at all: Alice would be a vampire in the future. It was a startling thing to suddenly realize out of the blue, but then, somehow I knew deep down it was an eventuality unless Alice herself declined to become immortal like me.

_Who's going to turn her, though? _I wondered. _I can't, there's no way. My control may be a bit better, but it's certainly not at the level it needs to be. I guess Carlisle and Esme could do it when the time comes since they turned the rest of us other than Victoria and Jasper. Still._

"I'm assuming we're going to be grabbing their things, yes?" Jasper asked. "I could see from what little they brought with them that there's still a lot more where that came from and since the Brandons will likely do something drastic to their belongings, it only makes sense."

"Great," Emmett groaned. "We get to sneak into a house and grab clothes. Girls always have nothing but damned clothes and jewelry. It's so…boring. Why can't we ever go in to steal something fun for a change? Like a rare, priceless artifact of some kind or a tiger? Ooh, that would be hella fun! We should do that some day!"

The rest of us chuckled until I thought of something. "Actually, Em, you can steal Alice or Cynthia's car. I'm sure they'd like having their vehicles in their possession since we had to leave them behind, after all. What do you say to that?"

Emmett's face lit up. "Hell yeah! I'm in!"

"I want to steal car too," Victoria said. "I've always wanted to break into a house and snatch a car, peeling away loudly as the owners awoke only to be too late." She grinned evilly and everyone looked at her, causing her to frown. "What? Hasn't everyone wanted that?"

"I have," Jasper admitted sheepishly.

"Same here," Rosalie agreed.

"Yup," I added. "Okay, Tori and Em are getting the cars, which leaves Rose, Jasper, Jane and I to get all their stuff before their parents notice. Riley, if you wouldn't mind, since you're the least likely to want to steal something, maybe you could stay here and keep the girls company to make sure they're attended to?"

"Sure thing," he replied, smiling politely. "I don't see this turning into a high speed getaway, so I doubt I'll miss a whole lot anyways. Yes, I'll help Carlisle and Esme attend to our new guests."

"Are we going now?" Jane asked.

"Yes, yes we are," I replied. "It shouldn't be too long."

"I'm still annoyed at you," my little sister huffed.

I chuckled and hugged her tightly. "You'll get over it, Janie. Let's go."

We headed out and got into Emmett's jeep, which had the most space and carried the most people in it, which worked out well for our intended "heist". Technically, it wasn't really a heist since the things belonged to Alice and Cynthia and we were bringing them back, but then, at the same time, we were breaking into their—former—house.

It was exciting, though. I didn't know why it was exciting, it just was. _I only wish I could see the looks on the Brandons' faces when they find their daughters' rooms emptied._ It made me grin knowing how much torment we were bringing to them. They deserved every bit of it.

"We're here," Emmett boomed, having parked across the street from the Brandons' home.

"What an ugly ass house," Victoria remarked. "I say we burn the damn place down."

"Maybe next time," I said, smiling at the thought. "Alright Em, Tori, you know your targets."

"First we need to cause some type of distraction," Jasper said. "I'll sneak in and hit them with waves of lethargy to make them fall asleep, then we can do this without trouble."

"Dude, that's boring," Emmett complained.

"Would you rather cause a big ruckus and have more problems to deal with?" Jasper inquired, glancing at our brother. "We have no reason to fear the police, Em, but think about it. The Brandons have money and they'll likely try to slander our family name as it is because of what happened with Alice and her sister. Anything more would add fuel to the fire."

"A fire we can easily put out," Jane commented in a hiss. "Permanently if we were allowed."

"Jane," I said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Do you really mean that?"

"What?" she asked. "I meant going with Tori's idea of burning their house down, not killing the assholes, okay? Look, I hate them, but imagine how much more suffering they'd have to go through knowing they lost all their precious belongings!"

I considered the idea, but Jasper shook his head. "No. We can't risk it. It may sound like fun and yes, I'd love to do it, but think of the consequences."

"I hate to admit it, but Jasper's right," Rosalie said. "Now let's get this the hell over with so we can get back home. My new favorite TV show is coming on soon."

Everyone got out of Emmett's jeep, Jasper, Emmett and Victoria heading towards the door while Jane, Rosalie and I moved to the back where the girls' rooms had been. Using our vampire abilities to scale walls—which Emmett lovingly referred to as being like Spiderman—who made it into the first room, which I recognized instantly as Alice's.

It didn't take long to hear the roar of engines coming to life from outside and I knew Emmett and Victoria were having a blast driving off in Alice and Cynthia's cars. Jasper met us upstairs fairly shortly after, smiling as amusement flickered in his eyes.

"I enjoy doing that a little too much," he remarked.

"We all have our vices," I commented with a shrug.

"Jane, Jasper, you two go and clear out Cynthia's room," Rosalie said. "Bella and I will take care of Alice's." She opened Alice's closet as Jasper and Jane departed and laughed. "Damn. This girl has almost as many clothes as I do. If she weren't your mate, I'd find her competition."

I walked over and gaped at the sheer volume of clothes and shoes in Alice's closet, which put my closet and Riley and Jane's closet combined to shame. There were shirts, jackets, dresses, blouses and many, many other items of clothing that made me shake my head in amazement.

"She's another you," I said. "Lovely."

Rosalie beamed. "Looks like I can mold her into the perfect mini-me."

"Dear God, no," I breathed, horrified. "One of you is more than enough."

"Fuck you," my sister snorted.

"You did, remember?" I teased.

"I thought that wasn't sex?" she asked with a smirk.

I sputtered. "Well, I…I mean it wasn't…but…gah!" I threw my hands in the air. "Shut up and start grabbing things, we need to make this quick before Jasper's power wears off."

We spent twenty minutes removing every item from Alice and Cynthia's rooms that we figured they would want—meaning everything, basically—filling the back of Emmett's jeep until it was about ready to burst from behind. By then, we'd cleared out the girls' rooms in full and were ready to leave for home when I decided to do one more look over.

"I'll be quick," I said. "Jazz, can you wait around just in case?"

"Sure," he replied, looming near the doorway as I sprinted back upstairs.

I searched Cynthia's room thoroughly first, lifting her bed, checking for hidden holes in the wall where things might be stashed, everything. I found nothing of note after looking over every single inch of her room, so I shrugged and moved onto Alice's room, expecting the same thing.

At first, I found nothing and believed my initial idea was correct. However, when I lifted Alice's bed up, I noticed something I hadn't; there was a small little opening cut into the bottom of Alice's bed in the shape of a rectangle. Intrigued, I opened it up and found a large, tan-colored envelope hidden within which I pulled out, allowing the bed to plop down afterwards.

"Now what do we have here?" I wondered, eyeing the envelope curiously. _Do I look inside? No, that would be wrong. This is Alice's and I shouldn't…besides, she would know if I did._

Holding the envelope under one arm, I searched the remainder of her room and turned up with nothing, then exited and ran downstairs to Jasper. He nodded and together we exited the Brandons' house once and for all, then clambered back into Emmett's jeep.

"What's in the envelope?" Jane inquired.

"I don't know," I replied. "It belongs to Alice."

"You haven't looked?" she asked, frowning. "How come?"

I rolled my eyes. "Because it would be rude, of course."

Rosalie started the jeep up. "Do we have _everything_ possible?"

"If not more so," Jasper chuckled.

"Good," Rosalie snorted. "Let's get the fuck out of here."

She started Emmett's jeep while I glanced at the window, holding onto the envelope that likely had nothing of importance in it—and even if it did, it wasn't my business to look inside without Alice's permission. I watched as Rosalie ripped by until something caught my eye.

"What was that?" I wondered quietly to myself. It looked like movement.

"Do you see something?" Jasper asked.

"I do," Jane replied. "And it _stinks_."

That was all I needed to hear to realize was I was seeing: the wolves. And sure enough, as Rosalie broke away from houses—as she conveniently took the long way around to get back to the house since it had been a one way street—I saw the massive bodies of the wolves from La Push, growling and barking like they always did.

"Shit," Rosalie cursed. "Bella, take the wheel and drive back home. We'll deal with this."

"What?" I asked, scowling. "You can't seriously expect me to—"

"Do you want Alice to start worrying about you?" she asked. "I know you hate it when we do this type of thing, but we'll be fine. As long as Jasper can keep the mutts under control, they won't lay a paw on us. Besides, we haven't broken our treaty."

"Do we have to deal with them?" Jane whined. "They stink!"

"I know," Rosalie said. "But yes, we do. Bella?"

With a groan, I jumped in front of the jeep as Rosalie, Jasper and Jane leapt out gracefully, forcing me to watch the wolves surround them as I drove off. I gritted my teeth as my chest clenched in pain at the thought of them being hurt, but I pushed it aside and kept driving until I made it back to the house. Emmett and Victoria were waiting outside for me when I returned.

"You guys are slow!" Emmett boomed, frowning when he saw only me. "Where're the others?"

"We saw the damned mutts, so they got out to deal with them," I grumbled.

"They _what_?" Victoria hissed.

"Rose said it was the thing to do," I sighed, shaking my head. "Stubborn bitch."

"I'm going to go help," Emmett said, pumping himself up. "There's no way I'm letting Rose and the others deal with the dogs by themselves, hell no."

"Damn right," Victoria agreed.

I stopped them and held them in place. "Hold it, guys. I know you want to go help, but think for a moment. If the wolves were going to attack, they would've attacked without waiting for us to get out of the jeep. I think they want to talk. Besides, with Jane and Jasper's gifts and Rose's strength, they would know how to handle themselves."

Emmett scowled. "But—"

"Em, you and I both know what Rose is capable of," I pointed out. "Stop worrying. She'll be fine and so will Jazz and Jane. Just go inside and give them a bit of time, they'll be back soon enough, I'm sure of it. Besides, I need you two and Riley to help me unpack all this…stuff."

Victoria grumbled something under her breath. "I'll get Riley."

She disappeared inside for a moment, then reappeared with Riley in tote shortly after and the four of us began unpacking everything we'd taken from Alice and Cynthia's rooms. It took us less time to unpack everything than it did to pack, so we were done fairly quickly.

Once we finished, I headed upstairs with the tan envelope in my hands and knocked on the door to the room Alice and Cynthia were staying in. Alice opened it and stepped outside, her eyes bulging when she saw me holding the envelope.

"Where did you find that?" she asked.

"Under your bed," I replied, handing it to her. "We emptied out your rooms."

"You did?" Alice asked. "I didn't even see it. And you were barely gone that long, I thought you were downstairs or something with your family." She eyed the envelope and extended her hands out to take it from me. "Thank you. This is…thank you."

I didn't fail to notice the odd look in her eyes as she folded it under her arm, but I shrugged it off and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Going to bed, I assume?" I asked.

She bit her lip. "Actually, I was wondering if I could come hang out with you for a bit."

I was about to answer when Riley appeared. "Sorry to interrupt," he said. "Bella, you're needed downstairs for a family meeting. If you'd like, you can come back up to see Alice afterwards to spend some time with her. Again, sorry, but it's urgent."

"Vampire stuff?" Alice asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, sorry. I'll be back."

"I'll hold you to that," she replied with a wink before heading back into her new room.

Once she was, I turned and speedily ran downstairs to join the others in the family room. Rosalie, Jane and Jasper were back, unharmed, but relatively displeased. My nostrils flared when I sat down, the lingering stench of the dogs making me feel sick even though I couldn't.

"You guys stink," Victoria remark, waving a hand in front of her face.

"Don't remind me," Rosalie grumbled as she sat down. Carlisle and Esme joined us shortly after and all eyes fall on Rosalie as she sighed. "Well, we had an…interesting chat with the mutts. From what they told me, there's been a bit of activity lately in nearby towns and they believe vampires are the cause. And, naturally, they blamed us."

"Activity?" Carlisle asked. "What sort of activity?"

"A few deaths," Jasper replied. "Nothing out of the ordinary, except for the way the bodies were mutilated. They also informed us that there have been a few minor appearances of vampires near La Push, so they, as Rosalie stated, assumed we were the ones behind it. Or at least, a handful of them did. Their Alpha was unconvinced and said as such."

"Of course they would blame us," I scoffed. "They always blame us."

"There's also the fact that they saw us breaking into the Brandons' house," Jasper added with a small smile. "It didn't look good, I'm sure, but the only reason they didn't come after us then was due to there being no screaming or the scent of blood coming from us."

"Damned mongrels," Rosalie growled. "One of them had the audacity to openly challenge our loyalty to their fucking treaty, can you believe it?"

"Yes," deadpanned everyone except Carlisle and Esme.

"Did they say anything else?" Esme asked. "Other than the usual accusations."

"They wanted to know what the deal with the Brandon situation was," Rosalie replied. "I told them it was none of their damned business because it didn't concern them. Nearly got into a fight with one of the wolves had the Alpha not stepped in. She kept them calm and told them to leave so we could talk more…peacefully, I guess. Then she left."

"She had them leave?" Riley asked. "How odd."

"The Alpha…what was her name?" Esme asked. "Raina, I believe? She seems to be one of the more generous wolves on the reserve compared to the others. She leads both the pack and the tribal council too, if memory serves. She's also a decent woman."

Rosalie snorted. "To a point, I'm sure. At any rate, we need to be more on guard because she warned us that some of her wolves have us on their radar regardless. She'll keep them in check, but I doubt all of them will obey her. They've found ways to do it before."

"Whatever," Emmett crooned. "We'll kick their furry asses no matter what."

"Agreed," Jane hissed.

"It seems we'll need to pay a visit to them in the future," Carlisle said. "I want to try and ease their concerns before they boil over and turn into something unnecessary."

"I agree," Esme said.

"Same here," Riley stated. "The wolves may not be our best friends, but they could be a useful ally if the need ever arose. You never know with the Volturi and how they work. For now, we should try to maintain a bit of peace, shaky as it may be."

"I'm going to go shower the wolf stink off," Rosalie announced. "Em, care to join me?"

"Hell yeah," he crooned, grinning like a kid on Christmas.

"Don't do anything obnoxious," Esme warned. "We have guests, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah," Emmett said, rolling his eyes. "We'll be careful."

The two sprinted upstairs while the rest of us got up as well. Jane and Jasper both ran up to shower as well—Victoria practically forced Jasper to go up even though he would have done it regardless—while I prepared to return upstairs.

"Bella, may we have a word with you for a moment?" Carlisle asked in a gentle voice.

"Sure," I replied. "Your room?"

"Yes," Esme said with a smile, wrapping an arm around me as the three of us headed upstairs.

I had a funny feeling they wanted to discuss what I planned to do about Alice and, more importantly, Cynthia's knowledge of our family's secret. It made sense to bring up since we had yet to discuss it, but I was still uncertain of what would be the right course of action and when.

Once we were in their room, Esme and Carlisle seated themselves behind their massive desk while I pulled a chair up to it, placing my arms on it as I glanced between them curiously.

"This is about Alice and her sister, isn't it?" I inquired.

"Yes," Esme replied. "We wish to know your thoughts on what to do regarding their staying in our home and whether or not we should reveal our secret to the sister. I don't know her well enough to give an opinion myself. Hell, I don't even know Alice very well yet."

"Hopefully that can change," I said, smiling. "As far as Cynthia, I'm not sure. I planned on asking Alice if she could look into the future somehow and see how her sister would react if we were to tell her. I'm hoping she would take it as well as Alice did, but if not, I'm not sure what we could do to reassure her that we're not a gang of wild monsters."

"Indeed," Carlisle agreed. "Perhaps we should give her time to adjust to living in a new home with people she doesn't know very well first. Allow us a chance to learn more about her and form bonds with her of a sort until she's comfortable with us."

I nodded. "Sounds fine with me."

"There is one other thing we wanted to bring up," Esme said. "It's regarding…_him_."

I knew instantly who Esme was talking about and grimaced. "What about him?"

"He will return, I'm sure we all know this," she stated. "But what will you do when he does?"

I ran a hand through my hair. "Confront him. But this time, I won't let my emotions get the best of me. I'm going to start training more often when I'm not in school. I need to get stronger and learn how to keep my emotions in check when I fight him again, otherwise, I'll be screwed."

"What about Alice?" Carlisle asked.

"She'll have to learn about him soon enough," I sighed. "When she does, I'll explain what needs to be explained and hopefully she'll understand. It's not like I'm going to neglect her or anything, no, I know I need to spend time with her. My only fear is Edward somehow using her as leverage to get to me, which I can't stand the thought of."

"Don't worry, dear," Esme said. "We'll help you. We'll protect Alice should the need arise."

Carlisle nodded in agreement, then tapped his chin. "Tell me, Bella. Have you given any thought to changing Alice any time soon? Perhaps when the school year ends? I realize this is an abrupt question, but I don't see her staying human, personally. I don't mean to intrude upon more personal things, I'm simply curious about your thoughts."

I shrugged. "I haven't thought on it a whole lot, to be honest. I mean, yeah, I would like Alice to become a vampire at some point, but the end decision is hers to make and hers alone, not mine. I wouldn't want her to make it solely based on me, either. It would have to be what she wants."

"Understandable," Carlisle replied with a smile. "How are you doing, by the way?"

"Fine," I replied. "A little here and there, I suppose. There's a lot on my mind right now."

"Such as?" Esme inquired. "You know we're here for you, Bella."

"I know," I whispered. "I'm worried. This whole Edward thing is still lurking in the back of my mind even though he hasn't been around for a while. Plus, I'm not sure what to do with my relationship with Alice. I mean, it feels like we rushed into things before really taking the time to have an endearing moment together and I want to fix that, but…"

"You saved her life as a child," Carlisle reminded me. "It's safe to say that since that day, she's been on your mind subconsciously and I'm more than certain it's the same for her. Think about it, dear, you've loved her since you first laid eyes on her and only recently did that love surface due to you having extended contact with her."

"Not all relationships are the same," Esme added. "Some take time before they begin while others blossom quickly. It's true, you and Alice may have rushed into things, but given the circumstances between the two of you, it's understandable. That doesn't mean you can't take the time to bond and truly fall in love, though. I think that's what you should do."

"I agree," Carlisle said. "Take small steps as you continue to flesh out your feelings for one another and, within time, you'll both see you're meant to be together. Trust your heart on what to do, Bella. It won't lead you astray, of that I'm certain."

I soaked their words in and stood up. "Thank you both."

I speedily dashed around their desk and hugged each of my parents tightly, kissing their cheek as they kissed my forehead. It was times like these that I was truly thankful for being blessed with such wonderful parents. I always felt that way, but these moments really strengthened how I felt about them. They were the best damn parents ever.

"Take care, dear," Esme said. "And remember, if you need any advice, come to us."

"I will, thanks," I replied, smiling warmly at my parents before departing from their room and heading back to the room Alice and Cynthia were staying in. I hesitated before knocking and realized how late it was, which meant they were probably asleep. At least, that's what I thought until Alice poked her head out the door and stepped outside quietly.

"Hey," she greeted me. "What's up?"

"Not much," I replied. "Shouldn't you be in bed? It's awful late out."

Alice snorted. "Hardly. It's only a little after eight. Besides, Cynthia's snoring like crazy in there and I can't put up with that right now. I figured you and I could spend some time together until I actually felt tired enough to ignore her snoring."

I giggled. "She snores? Really?"

"Like you wouldn't believe," Alice giggled. "I love the girl to pieces, but that snoring is a terrible habit of hers. The worst part is that she doesn't believe me when I tell her!"

"I don't think any woman wants to hear that she snores," I pointed out.

Alice rolled her eyes. "Maybe not, but still." She shrugged it off and clasped her hands together excitedly. "So what shall we do, hmm? I'm wide awake and full of energy."

I toyed with ideas on what Alice and I could do. There were numerous activities, true, but most of them were vampire things—like sparring or having games around hunting—but none of those would work for obvious reasons. I could always take her down to play a few games or something along those lines to see if she liked anything in particular.

_What to do_, I wondered. Then I got an idea and smiled. "I have an idea."

"And?" she asked. "I can't read minds, Bella."

I lifted an eyebrow. "You sure about that?"

She stumbled a little and frowned. "Well, okay, technically I can, but…wait, no, I can't, I just see the future…but I guess that could be considered…gah!" She stopped and shot me a glare when I giggled like a school girl. "Stop doing that! It's not funny!"

I laughed and tousled her hair affectionately. "Speak for yourself, my dear. I'm enjoying this."

"Do you want me to not kiss or cuddle with you for a month?" she threatened.

"Would you be able to go that long without my affection?" I asked back, arching an eyebrow.

Alice's face reddened as she grew flustered. "Damn it. You bitch."

"Somewhat," I said, scooping her into my arms and holding her close. "Relax, Alice. I'm only playing around with you a little. It's cute to see you embarrassed."

"Says you," she mumbled, burying her face into the crook of my neck. "You smell good."

"Thank you," I replied.

We remained that way for several minutes of complete silence, which was nice. "What did you want to do?" Alice asked quietly after the minutes passed.

"Are you hungry?" I asked.

Alice pulled away and patted her stomach. "Well, yeah. I didn't get the chance to eat at dinner."

"Sorry," I murmured. "I didn't take that into account for you and your sister."

"Don't sweat it," she said, waving it off.

I grinned. "Actually, I'm glad. Alice, would you like to go out with me on a date?"

Alice beamed at me. "Tonight? For real?"

"Yes ma'am," I answered. "Tonight. Right now."

"Hell yes," she replied. "Let's go!"

I giggled at her excitement and swept her off her feet. "Hold on." She curled her arms around me and I dashed downstairs, outside of the house to the garage and set her down. Without a word I ran inside and drove out my car, speedily blurring out to open the door for her, then getting back in just as she started doing her seatbelt.

"Damn you're fast," Alice remarked. "Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise," I replied with a wink.

"I do love surprises!" Alice chirped happily.

I snorted. "You love to spoil surprises, you mean."

"Same difference," Alice giggled as I drove off to treat both of us to our first official date.

**A/N: Not much to say regarding this chapter, it's more or less taking care of a few things while moving the story along. But I will say this: the wolves will be coming into play sooner rather than later, Bella and Alice's first date is up next, Amara and Kate will be appearing (since many of you wanted them to make an appearance) soon and after that, things will start to get interesting when I finally delve into Alice's past.**

**Oh, off topic note. People have been asking about how the novel is going. Well, it's in limbo right now, but I hope to change that soon. I will post in the Blood Solstice fan fic when something of note happens, but for now, it is resting in an abyss of uncertainty. **

**Also, I'm going to be doing a collaboration with the-poetry-of-ink, another Bellice author. Look for it some time in the not-too distant future. So I want to shoutout to her, as well as one of my readers TattooTanith (who is awesome and I've been talking to a lot on Twitter lately), and Kyraaah1992, who is equally awesome. You girls are great, thank you so much for the friendliness and support! :D**

**Until next time. Hope everyone enjoys this chapter and the ones to come.**


	30. First Date

**Disclaimer: I take claim for only my characters and ideas. Meyer owns all things Twilight. **

**First Date**

"Where're we going?" Alice asked, jumping in her seat. "C'mon, tell me!"

I stared at her and shook my head. "Did you snort caffeine or something when I wasn't looking?"

She stopped jumping and frowned. "What makes you say that?"

"Hyper active burst of energy much?" I chuckled.

"Only when I'm excited," she replied. "Now tell me where we're going! Please?"

"No," I said. "You've asked me, like, twenty seven times already. Asking more won't get you an answer, my dear, sweet Alice. Learn to be patient."

"Patience stinks," she huffed petulantly. "I want answers, damn it."

"Tough," I teased, lightly poking her side.

Alice muttered something under her breath as I continued to drive, keeping my thoughts jumbled since I didn't want her to try and see where I was taking her. I knew in the back of my mind, but I wasn't going to let her ruin it for herself if I could help it.

The restaurant I was taking her was a very fancy place that I'd heard had great reviews in terms of service and food. Not only that, but Alice had mentioned it several times as being her favorite place to eat and that she hadn't been there in a while.

_And of course there's afterwards_, I said in my head, smirking. I wasn't going to just treat her to dinner, no; I wanted to do something extra romantic for her. _Hopefully my siblings would help me out since there's no way I can do this with Alice in tote._

"Where are we _going_?" Alice whined. "Give me a hint, at least!"

"Uh uh," I replied, sticking my tongue out at her. "Wait."

It didn't take much longer for us to arrive at the restaurant, at which point Alice squealed delightedly in her chair and clapped like a happy school kid. I got out of the car in a flash and opened her door for her and she instantly flung herself at me, nearly causing me to topple backwards in surprise. I steadied myself without problem and hugged her back.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Alice said, kissing my neck.

"You're welcome," I replied, pressing my lips to her forehead. "But I wouldn't thank me until after you've had your meal. It might be terrible for all you know."

"Doubtful," Alice snorted as I set her down. "This place rocks."

"Shall we?" I said, offering her my arm. She looped hers around mine and we headed inside, the various smells hitting my nose immediately. I winced a little, but held in my disgust for Alice's sake as we strolled up to the counter and waited to be served by someone.

It didn't take long for a girl to come and greet us, then take us to a table. I was initially surprised by her reaction—or rather, lack thereof—simply because most people knew who I was and often reacted in one of several ways; fear, jealousy, shock or attraction. I wasn't complaining, though.

She gave us our menus, then scooted off as several of the customers surrounding our booth took notice of me, which I had expected. Alice noticed as well, but she seemed completely unbothered by them. Their whispers and wandering eyes never fazed me. They did years ago, but thanks in part to Carlisle and Esme's training, I put them out of my mind and focused on my date.

"So…" I smiled. "What do you plan on ordering?"

"Food," she giggled. "What about you?"

"Water," I replied. "I can't stand the smell of everything else in here. Plus, your food is toxic to me and it would probably only cause problems. Don't worry; you can eat whatever you want."

Alice frowned. "I didn't even think about the fact that you couldn't eat…"

"It's alright," I said. "I don't mind, really. Being with you is more than enough for me."

"Mm," Alice murmured.

Our waiter arrived at that moment. "Hello ladies," he greeted, glancing between us. "Are you ready to order or would you like some more time?"

"Water," I said. "Please."

Alice didn't even bother looking at her menu. "I'd like a raspberry ice tea with the sirloin steak, medium well, with a salad and French fries on the side, please. And if your chef Melissa is back there, tell her it's for Alice Brandon. She knows me."

He scribbled down her order and nodded. "I'll let her know."

"Thank you," Alice replied politely as the boy scurried off. "Alrighty then, I think it's about high time_ I_ got to know a little bit more about _you_. We've been talking about me a lot this past week and while I enjoy talking about myself, I want to know more about Bella Cullen."

I shrugged. "I'm not as interesting as you might think."

"Bullshit," Alice scoffed. She leaned in close to whisper. "You're _immortal_, Bella. You've been around for a hell of a lot longer than I have, so you've obviously seen and done a lot of cool things and I want to know about them. How did you turn? What was life like before and after?"

I pursed my lips. I knew I would need to open up and tell Alice these things eventually, but the last place I wanted to go into detail with them was a public location surrounded by people who would likely try to eavesdrop on our conversation.

"I'll tell you what," I said. "Wait till after dinner and we can discuss this in a more private place, okay? For now, can you give me any simpler questions that I can answer?"

Alice pouted, but nodded understandingly. "What's the favorite place you've ever been to, whether it was a permanent residence or a vacation?"

I thought on her question and smiled. "I'd have to say I really enjoyed going to Europe for a few weeks a couple years ago. We went to Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England, Romania and then the Netherlands. I loved all those places. They were beautiful, we got tons of souvenirs and…" I leaned in closer. "The game was extra fun."

"Game?" Alice asked.

"You know," I said, wiggling my eyebrows.

"Ah!" She smiled. "I see. What's it like to…hunt?"

"It's...interesting," I replied. I didn't know how to really describe it to a human since they never had to do such a thing. "I mean, it's hard to explain. It would be like going into the wild and feeling this compulsion to run free without any constraints, then getting this…hunger inside of you that's animal-like in some way. And then you give into those feelings."

"What's your favorite animal to, you know, hunt?" Alice asked.

I shrugged. "There's not many choices here other than deer, mountain lions and the occasional grizzly bear. Em likes bears and Jasper likes lions. For me, I like animals that are more challenging to catch, like cheetahs. I hunted one once. It was great. I only wish there were other choices around here that entertained me."

"What do you do with the bodies afterwards?" she inquired.

"Leave them," I replied. "There's always some scavenger that will finish them off."

Alice was about to ask another question when the waiter returned and served us our drinks, then gave Alice her steak. She licked her lips at the sight and, after a brief pause to say her graces, began eating while I drank my water and watched on. It was fairly amusing to watch, though I made sure to look elsewhere now and again to avoid being overly creepy.

"Delicious," Alice crooned. "They make the best steak ever."

"I wouldn't know," I chuckled. "It stinks to me."

Alice looked mock offended by my words. "Excuse me? My food _stinks_? Hey, watch what you say about my favorite restaurant or else, missy."

"Or else what?" I asked.

She was busy chewing another bite of her food while she thought about it. "Or else…" She swallowed what she was eating, then pouted. "Oh, never mind."

I giggled. "That's what I thought."

We chatted for a bit in-between her eating her meal, which I was patient with. When she finished her meal, I offered her dessert, but she declined. I paid for her meal—despite her protests, I did it regardless—and soon enough we were leaving the restaurant. But our date was far from over.

I'd texted Rosalie while Alice ate beneath the table, too fast for her to take notice of, and when I checked my phone as I blurred into my car, I saw that she'd told me she would take care of it. With a smirk, I revved my car up and drove off, heading to our next destination, having faith that my siblings had done what they needed.

I had two stops for the rest of the night, the first of which was in town at a currently unused ballet studio, which was the perfect location for phase two—or rather, the technical first phase— of my intended date for Alice. I only hoped she would enjoy it.

"I'm guessing if I asked where we were going, you won't tell me, huh?" Alice inquired.

"You got it," I replied. "I do, however, have one thing to ask you."

"Yes?" Alice inquired.

"Is your stomach settled?" I questioned, glancing at her for a moment.

Alice gave me an inquisitive look. "Yes. My stomach settles fast."

I grinned. "Good." It didn't take long for me to come to the ballet studio and stop, at which point I got out and opened Alice's door for her. "Here we are, my dear."

"A ballet studio?" Alice inquired.

I offered her my hand. "Not just a ballet studio tonight, Alice. Come with me."

She didn't hesitate to take my hand and we walked inside together, at which point Alice gasped. The entire ballet studio had been transformed into an impromptu dance floor combined with different colored lights—Alice's and my favorite colors, to be exact—beautiful banners surrounding the walls and, as an added touch, a bouquet of flowers for Alice.

It was a mixture of roses, violets, tulips and lilies. I strolled over to them and handed them to her, taking a rose and placing it in her hair. She took the flowers and breathed in, smiling brightly while her cheeks reddened a bit.

"Thank you," she said. "They're lovely."

"You're welcome," I replied, kissing her forehead. "I believed they would accentuate your beauty and I was right, but even these flowers can't do you justice."

I gazed into her crystalline eyes as they glimmer beautifully, love and warmth pooling in them. I took a moment just to stare into them, allowing myself to be lost in them like they were waves. It was one of the greatest feelings I'd ever felt and it made me almost want to have a heartbeat just so our hearts would be able to beat in sync at that moment.

"You have the most gorgeous eyes in the world," I breathed. "I wish I could swim in them in for ages…you have no idea how drawn to them I am."

"I think I do," she murmured. "Your eyes do the same to me, Bella." She reached up to stroke my cheek and beamed. "I think they're one of my favorite things about you. Not that I don't love everything else, including how mysterious you are."

"Mysterious, huh?" I chuckled. "I'll shed some light on that soon, I promise. But before that…"

I snapped my fingers and the lights suddenly dimmed except for those centered on the middle of the ballet studio while music began to play. It was a softer song, one I chose from Alice's selection of music—I sneaked a peak at her iPod when I grabbed it at her home—which made Alice's eyes light up with glee.

"You saw my iPod," Alice said, glancing around. "And you stole it, too. You stinker."

"Thank my siblings," I replied with a smile. "They're the ones controlling everything."

"That's nice of them," Alice remarked.

"Shall we dance?" I asked.

I placed a hand on her side and took her other hand in mine as we began to dance in the center of the ballet studio under the spotlights, the soothing music echoing around us. It was perhaps the best moment it could be. But then, the night wasn't done yet.

We danced together slowly even after the song changed and continued until the song that played was a faster, heavier rock song. I considered changing it myself, but Alice told me not to and instead we began dancing faster. I was impressed by Alice's speed and grace on the dance floor, but what really impressed me was how good she was at dancing.

"You've got good moves," I commented as I lifted her into the air. "You're very graceful."

"Thank you," she replied. "I've always loved dancing. I used to take ballet, in fact."

"Really?" I asked. "You should still be in it. You'd kick ass."

Alice beamed at me, the light reflecting off her eyes beautifully. "Thank you, Bella," she said, leaning in to press her lips to mine. "I'm really enjoying myself. This has been a great date and it means the world to me that you took me on it."

"It's not over yet," I said, kissing her back. "Far from it."

"There's more?" she asked.

"There will be," I said.

I wanted to enjoy dancing with Alice for a while longer, which we did. The lack of other people being there made it much more meaningful because I was able to really focus on her and her alone without any unnecessary distractions. It was great and Alice enjoying herself made me all the happier I'd chosen this as a part of our date.

Eventually Alice and I stopped dancing and I sped over to turn the stereos blaring her music off before grabbing her iPod and returning it to its rightful owner. I also handed her the bouquet of flowers again and we kissed before heading back outside.

_Two down, one to go_, I thought with a grin. _I hope she enjoys the last part._

It wasn't anything spectacular; I simply planned on taking Alice to a remote part of the forest near my house where it overlooked the landscape and was underneath the stars, creating a beautiful view that I prayed we'd be able to enjoy.

As I drove, I glanced up at the sky and smiled as the few clouds started clearing up. God was on my side tonight, it seemed, which I was grateful for. I hoped it would last long enough to increase the romantic moment I wanted to have with Alice.

Alice rolled her window down and sighed. "That was fun, Bella."

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself," I said. "But you don't sound too happy."

"I am," she insisted. "I swear to you, I truly had fun. It was different to dance with someone in an abandoned location with no one else around. It was nice, definitely, just odd."

"Then what's wrong?" I asked.

"I've been thinking about our leaving," Alice replied. "It…hasn't fully sunk in yet that Cynthia and I are no longer living with our parents. It's odd, yet I feel…free. Still, I worry that our decision will come back to bite us in the ass. That's not something I want to happen."

I nodded. "I understand, Alice. There will always be consequences for the things we do no matter what we decide on, its how we deal with those consequences that will shape the course we end up taking in our lives. Something bad may happen, but you won't be facing it alone. You have your sister and me at your side to help you. And my family, too."

Alice touched my shoulder and smiled warmly at me. "Thanks, Bella. That means a lot."

"Any time," I replied as I pulled my car to a stop under a tree. We were close.

"Where are we?" Alice asked.

I chuckled and got out to open her door. "Don't you already know?"

She tilted her head to one side and frowned for a moment, then blinked. "We're near your house, somewhere in the woods. You're taking me to a romantic spot up ahead, yes?"

"You got it," I replied as she took my hand. "May I carry you?"

Alice giggled at the thought of me carrying her for some reason. "Sure."

I scooped her into my arms and dashed forward towards the location I intended to take her, the moonlight glimmering overhead. I didn't fail to notice the expression on Alice's face change when she saw my skin under the moon's glow. It didn't make my skin glow the way the sunlight did, but it did illuminate my body, although to a much lesser extent.

It was almost like my body had an aura surrounding it, one that wrapped around my full body with a very mysterious light that acted the same way as it did when we were exposed to the light of the sun; it drew humans in like bug zappers drew in moths. The only difference was the intensity and the slight coloration; the nighttime glow had a light bluish tint to it.

"Wow," Alice breathed. "Amazing."

I smiled as I came to a stop and set Alice down. Before us was a cliff that overlooked more of the landscape, including the town itself. There was a single tree close by, but the cliff itself was untouched by shadows, allowing us to sit directly beneath the stars.

There was a wool blanket laying on the ground for the two of us to sit on as well as a picnic basket with a piece of strawberry cheesecake that Esme made for Alice—I requested it since I learned earlier on it was Alice's greatest weakness in the realm of sweets—and a thick jacket for Alice in case she got cold from staying out late.

We sat on the outstretched blanket as I grabbed the jacket and handed it to her. "Thank you," Alice murmured, slipping it on and zipping it up. "Ooh, this is nice and warm." She sniffed it and frowned before looking to me. "May I lay in your arms?"

"Yes," I replied, reaching into the picnic basket. "After you enjoy this."

Alice's jaw dropped. "You're shitting me."

"No ma'am," I said, handing her the plate. "Enjoy."

She snatched the plate away eagerly, thanked me, then started eating it, moaning quietly as she took her first bite. I snickered at the sight since I couldn't for the life of me understand how a piece of smelly crap like that could taste good. But then, I wasn't human anymore.

"Mm," Alice breathed, chewing her food slowly. "It's like having an orgasm in my mouth." My body flinched a little in excitement at her choice in words, but I pushed the thoughts away since there were no way in hell…"Done!"

"Huh?" I asked.

"I finished my cheesecake," Alice said, reaching over to set the plate back in the picnic basket.

"Oh." I mentally smacked myself to get my head out of the gutter and opened my arms for her as she slowly moved in closer. Soon we were cuddling with the blanket wrapped around us, Alice resting her head against mine as we stared into each other's eyes.

"You're so beautiful," Alice whispered. "God, you have no idea…I always dreamt about you being my golden-eyed angel and that's exactly what you are."

"I don't know about being an angel, but thank you," I said softly, stroking her hair.

She snorted. "You'll always be an angel to me, Bella. Always." She snuggled further into my body and kissed my cheek. "Will you tell me more about you now?"

I closed my eyes and gathered my thoughts. "Yes. I'll tell you."

"I was born Isabella Marie Swan in Chicago back in 1916," I began. "My parents were Renee and Charlie Swan. Charlie was a police officer while my mom was, well, a stay at home mom since that's what women did in those days. My life as a human was dull and boring, with nothing really interesting happening, as much as I wish I could say there was."

My words were truthful, but there was one small part I had yet to speak of. Edward. Knowing I needed to tell Alice made my undead heart hurt, but she deserved to know the truth, no bullshit or hiding anything. It was time to open up.

"However," I said. "There was one thing that would later come back to haunt me. When I was little, my parents introduced me to their friends and their friends' son, Edward Masen Jr., who was to me what James is to you. Only at the time, he was a nice kid. At the time, my parents clearly wanted us to be together. I was too young to understand, so I didn't know…"

"Know what?" she asked.

"What he would become," I said. "Edward and I grew up together practically until the plague hit and killed his parents. Edward was devastated by the loss and he disappeared for two whole years while I moved on with my life. When I saw him again, he was a different person; paler, colder and just…different. I didn't know any better, though; I thought he loved me."

"And I thought I loved him, too, so I stupidly rekindled our relationship. At first things were fine despite the differences in his mood and demeanor, but I started noticing things about him as time went on. Then everything changed in a single night. When my parents were gone, Edward got me in my room and…forced me into having sex with him."

Alice's body went rigid and I heard her heart skip a beat. "He _what_?" she hissed.

"He used his charm and vampiric abilities to manipulate me into sex," I sighed, embarrassed at how I'd been fooled into it. "I tried to resist him because I wasn't ready, but he got what he wanted and _made_ me do it, so I ended up giving in and letting him. I kept quiet about it to my parents, though. Edward threatened me to keep my mouth shut."

"Some time later, I started to feel weird. My stomach hurt, I wasn't hungry…there were all sorts of problems with me. I thought I was sick, so I became bedridden. More time passed and soon I realized that I was pregnant. Edward returned around that time, like he knew I was pregnant and kidnapped me, taking me away from my parents and home."

"I coughed up blood left and right as he carried me and stowed me away in some place I didn't know for a few weeks. Then I felt a kick and…" I paused and grimaced. "One thing led to another and I ended up in a hospital bed, coughing up blood and in massive pain. Next thing I know, I was giving birth to a child. Edward appeared at that moment—"

Alice shot off my body like a rocket. "You…you have a child?"

I grimaced again. "Y-yes."

Alice looked utterly shell-shocked. "Why…" She ran a hand through her hair and stared at the ground, disbelief in her eyes at what I'd told her. "How in the hell could you have a child if that _fucker_ was a vampire? That doesn't make any sense!"

I slowly stood up. "I know, trust me, I've been baffled by it for years too, but—"

"My God," Alice breathed. "How in the hell didn't I know this…?"

"Alice…" I whispered, reaching out to touch her shoulder.

Alice shook her head, tears forming in her eyes as she grabbed my shirt. "Oh, Bella…God, I feel like such a heartless bitch. I wish I'd known that you had a baby…if I'd known, I wouldn't have acted the way I have since we met. I had no idea how much pain you've—"

I silenced her with a gentle kiss. "Hush, Alice," I soothed. "It's alright. It's not easy to recount, but this is something you need to hear. I'm not finished yet, either. There's more to the story." I sat back down and pulled her close as I wrapped our bodies in the blanket again.

"Sorry," Alice mumbled.

"It's alright," I said. "There's no reason for you to apologize. None at all." I started running my fingers through her hair until she relaxed, then continued on with my story. "After I gave birth to my daughter, Edward made her kill one of the people taking care of me and likely would have killed me too were it not for Carlisle and Esme."

"They were doctors there, you see, and they smelled the blood and Edward, so they came running just in time. Like the coward he was, Edward grabbed our daughter and fled into the night while Carlisle and Esme checked on me. They saw I was dying and asked if I wanted a second chance at life, which I ended up saying yes to."

"That's how I became a vampire. And ever since then, much of my life has been spent hunting Edward down for what he did to me. That day I visited you in the hospital and you called Rosalie to come and save me, I was fighting with him. He pushed my buttons and like an idiot, I fell for his trap and nearly died. But again, he got away."

Alice kissed my cheek. "I'm so sorry, Bella. About everything…"

"Don't be," I repeated gently. "You had no control over what happened to me, Alice. This is a problem I have to deal with alongside my family and it will be dealt with, I have vowed that."

"What about your daughter?" she asked quietly. "What happened to her?"

"She's been with Edward," I replied. "He's probably manipulated her into hating me and turned her into a vicious, coldblooded killer like he is. I've only seen her once since the day she was taken away from me and it was brief, but I saw her eyes. They were not the eyes of the child I would have foreseen being mine. No, they were like _his_ eyes."

"What will you do if you see her again?" Alice inquired.

I opened my mouth to respond, but couldn't form any words for a moment. Thinking about my child made me hurt inside and right now was supposed to be a happy moment between Alice and I, something Alice quickly noticed.

"Forgive me," Alice said. "I shouldn't be asking these types of questions on a night like this when we're trying to have a romantic night. I'm sorry, Bella."

I kissed her forehead. "It's fine, Alice. You can't help being curious. And you deserve to know more about me, so in the end, I don't mind telling you. I only wish I had happier things to tell you about my past before joining the Cullens."

"I appreciate your willingness to tell me these things," Alice said, kissing me. "I can't imagine it being easy to go into detail about something so…terrible."

I could tell my revelation had shaken her and I felt a pang of guilt for it, but pushed it aside. "There, there," I whispered, moving so I was lying on my side. "It's alright, Alice. Don't worry about what's in the past. Think about what's in the present and look to the future, that's my personal philosophy. And you, my dear, are my future, as I am yours."

Alice looked into my eyes as I wiped away a stray tear and smiled. "You're right. You're my future, Bella, I've seen it more times than I can count and it fills me with joy. Someday I hope to be an immortal like you so we can face the same troubles together with our heads held high. I love you, Bella Cullen. You're my soulmate and I aim to prove my love to you."

"You already have," I pointed out. "By accepting what I am without a problem and sticking by my side despite that fact means more to me than you could ever know. I'm glad you and I met when we did, Alice. I'm also thankful for being able to save you years ago. It's the only thing that asshole did that helped me, to be honest."

We kissed passionately at that moment and began making out as Alice's hands buried in my hair, my hands wrapping around her waist. Our lips danced together for several minutes until I pulled away slightly, giving Alice the chance to catch her breath.

She was quick about it, though, and attacked my mouth soon enough, using her body to move me to my back as she crawled on top of me. I was mildly surprised by the change in her demeanor, but I didn't mind letting her be the dominant one as her tongue trailed across my bottom lip, causing me to be even more surprised.

Alice stared back at me with a mixture of love and hunger in her eyes. Without a word, I opened my mouth, allowing her tongue to snake inside, causing us to moan in unison. Her tongue tasted heavenly as my hands moved to cup her cute ass, giving it a light squeeze, which made her squeak for a second before she went right back to what she was doing.

"You taste good," she purred as her tongue retracted. "And you're purring again."

I hadn't even noticed that my body was vibrating as we continued making out for what felt like hours until Alice stopped and snuggled into my arms. I felt her relax against me and I simply held her while my hands tenderly stroked her hair.

Eventually Alice fell asleep and I decided it was time to take her home, so I gently and carefully picked her up and took her to my car. Once I'd placed her inside and buckled her up, I drove off at a reasonable pace so it wouldn't wake her up.

_It went better than I expected it to_, I thought to myself, smiling. _I hope Alice enjoyed herself up until that last bit. Maybe I should have avoided…no, she needed to know. I'll make it up to her._

When we arrived to the house, I parked my car outside the garage and carefully brought Alice out of it back inside, amused at how heavy of a sleeper Alice was. A few of my siblings gave me inquisitive looks when I walked inside, but one look from Esme kept them from saying a word as I carried Alice upstairs to her and Cynthia's room.

I crept inside and placed Alice in her bed, covered her, then kissed her forehead. "I love you," I whispered into her ear before exiting her room, swearing I could see a smile on her face as I shut the door. I shrugged it off, though, and headed downstairs to spend time with my family until the following day when Kate and Amara would be coming over to visit.

_What a day that'll be_, I chuckled in my head.

**A/N: So yes, their first date. Not the best, maybe, but it's a start, in my opinion. You know, it's come to my attention that I've fallen from the spot I once held. And I'm okay with that. I understand why some readers have moved on to new fandoms or simply stopped reading fan fiction. But I wanted to thank everyone who has stuck with me and told me what you thought of my chapters. I appreciate it, maybe more now than I ever did before (which was always a lot). I think I just have to work harder at being better so people notice again and I may attract some past readers. That's my goal.**

**I'd like to take a moment to shout out to ForeverYoung9458, YourDamnedAddict and Ra'iira the Fiend, three of my readers, as well as the-poetry-of-ink, once again. I am working with her a collab that will be interesting. It will be on her profile and I'll be certain to note when it's been released. **


	31. Visitors

**Disclaimer: Twilight is owned by Stephanie Meyer, my characters and ideas are owned by me. *insert witty remark here***

**Visitors**

It was Sunday now, the day Kate and Amara would be coming down to visit us from Denali. I was in my room listening to my iPod, thinking about last night and whether or not it was a good enough first date for Alice and I. I hoped it was, but even still, I knew I could do better.

For now, though, I would have to wait until my two sex-crazed cousins left because everyone knew when they came over, things would change quite drastically. My primary concern was getting them to tone down their usual "activities" while visiting due to Alice and Cynthia's presence, the latter of which still didn't know about our existence.

_I need to bring that up with Alice_, I thought. _The sooner she learns, the better._ There was a knock at my door that caught my attention and I pulled my ear buds out. "Come in."

Alice sauntered in with a bright smile on her face as she closed the door behind her. "Good morning, Bella," she crooned, jumping on my bed and crawling up to me. I giggled and pulled her to my arms before greeting her with a tender kiss. "Mm. Your lips taste amazing."

"I was about to say the same thing," I murmured against her mouth as she pulled away. "You're awful cheerful for it being so early in the morning, my dear."

Alice shrugged. "You should see when I drink coffee. My God, I'd be bouncing off the walls like an insane person on crack. That's why Cynthia banned me from ever drinking coffee again. Anyways, how are you? I'd ask how you slept, but since you don't, I guess I can't."

I chuckled and kissed her forehead as I set my iPod aside. "In a way, we do have moments where we "sleep", but no, that didn't happen last night. As for how I am, I'm fine. I was just letting my mind wander a bit until you came in. How did you sleep?"

"Wonderfully," Alice replied, beaming. "That was the best damn sleep I've gotten in years."

"Glad to hear it," I said.

She snuggled against me as I pulled the covers over our bodies. "I had a few interesting visions while I slept, one of which is going to happen today. I saw two extremely sexy women coming to visit us and I'm wondering who they are."

"My "cousins"," I replied with a snicker. "Kate and Amara Denali. Amara is the tall, foulmouthed red-head with her bellybutton showing, Kate is the shorter yet still tall blonde haired girl who may or may not have hers showing. They're pretty much any straight guy's wet dream when it comes to lesbians; at least that's how they _tend_ to act."

"I take it there's more to them, though?" Alice asked.

"Of course," I replied. "A lot of people, including some of my siblings, think all Kate and Amara do is have sex, but they're both extremely intelligent and super powerful, something most don't give them enough credit for. They're two of the most dangerous vampires in the world, in fact, so I'm thankful they've turned to being a vegetarian vampire and are on our side."

Alice arched an eyebrow. "Vegetarian vampire?"

"It's an inside joke," I remarked, shrugging. "Carlisle and Esme jokingly coined it years ago and it kind of stuck to us. It refers to us vampires that feed off of animal blood instead of human blood, which, in a way is ironic since human vegetarians don't eat animals."

"Nor do they drink blood," Alice giggled. "But I get what you mean."

"What other visions did you have in your sleep, if I may ask?" I inquired.

"I had one of you and I talking," she replied. "You were trying to say something, but I couldn't fully understand it because you likely haven't made a concrete decision. I know it has something to do with my sister, however. That was the only word you spoke that I understood."

I sighed. "I wondered when you would see something like that."

"What's it about?" Alice asked. "Do you not want my sister here?"

"What?" I furrowed my brow. "No, that's not it at all. Your sister is fine, Alice. I was…the thing I wanted to ask you about was whether or not you could look into the future and see how Cynthia would react to finding out that we're vampires. Since she's going to be staying here and since you and I are together, I figured it would be better in the long run for her to find out."

Alice pursed her lips in thought. "Hmm. I had thought about it, but I didn't consider what you told me for some weird reason. Can you decide to tell her? That will allow me to look into the future and see how she would react."

"Um, sure," I replied, mentally deciding that I would tell Cynthia tonight about us.

I watched as Alice's eyes glazed over and she went rigid in my arms for a moment, remaining completely still for at least three minutes. I started to get worried when Alice suddenly blinked and relaxed into my body, an odd expression on her face that I couldn't quite register.

"What did you see?" I asked.

Alice glanced at me and smiled. "Well…Cynthia will take it the same way I did."

My eyes widened. "Really? She won't have a problem with it?"

Alice shook her head. "Nope. Honest to God. I saw you and I sitting down with her while your parents lingered in the background. I explained to her that what we needed to say was important and that she needed to keep it a secret no matter what. Then you told her and, well, she took it surprisingly well, like she knew something was up the whole time."

"You're telling me that she's perceptive like you without the future seeing power," I said.

"I wouldn't say exactly like me," Alice chuckled. "But yes. So there's nothing to worry about."

"That's a relief," I sighed. "Did you see anything else?" Alice hesitated at that moment and I frowned, knowing it wasn't good. "You can tell me, Alice. What did you see?"

"I saw _him_," Alice whispered, worry in her eyes.

I didn't need to think twice to know who "him" was and growled quietly. "Edward."

She nodded. "Yes. I…didn't see a whole lot, I just caught a glimpse of him. He was in a forest that looked similar to the one expanding out from your house, only it was a bit darker. I saw him speaking to someone, but I couldn't see who, nor could I make much out. All I heard was the word "plan" and "beauty", nothing more."

I narrowed my eyes. "Damn it. He's up to something."

"I wouldn't worry about it," Alice said, pecking my cheek. "I did hear one other thing and that was the date. The meeting hasn't taken place yet; it happens in three weeks."

"Three weeks?" I questioned. "Strange."

She shrugged. "My visions are strange sometimes, what can I say? It doesn't take away from how awesome I am though, does it? Nope, that's what I say."

"I'd have to agree," I chuckled, relieved that I didn't have to deal with Edward for now. "Thanks for coming to tell me everything. I appreciate the heads up. You wouldn't happen to know when Kate and Amara will be arriving, would you? I think we should tell Cynthia about us after they've left, so I was thinking a few of my siblings would take her out to town."

"Ooh, that's a great idea," Alice chirped. "I'm sure Cynthia would love that."

"Cool," I replied.

"Oh, right, you wanted me to see." Alice giggled and tilted her head to the side, her eyes glazing over once more before returning to normal. "Two hours."

I smiled. "Why don't you go talk with your sister while I go and see which of my siblings would be willing to go into town with her?"

Alice sat up and saluted me. "Yes, ma'am!"

She jumped off my bed and ran off while I chuckled and did the same, making my way downstairs into the family room where most of my siblings were gathered, playing video games and shouting out insults as usual.

"Hey guys," I greeted, sitting down. "Would any of you be willing to into town with Cynthia while Amara and Kate visit? Knowing how they are, it'll be a little awkward to have a human who doesn't know about us around. At least with Alice she has _some_ knowledge about us."

"Riley and I will do it," Jane said after a moment of silence. "We've already visited with Amara and Kate and I've actually wanted to get out into town for a while." She turned to her husband and arched a fine eyebrow. "You good with that, Riley?"

"Of course," he replied. "We'd be happy to take Cynthia with us."

"Thanks," I said, smiling warmly at my siblings. "I appreciate it."

"No problem," Riley said, waving it off.

Alice and Cynthia came downstairs at that moment and joined us in the family room. Alice sat next to me, grinning ear to ear, while Cynthia lingered where she stood, glancing around with uncertainty in her eyes. I could tell she was nervous since she'd never outright met my siblings before and knew very little about us.

I cleared my throat. "Hi, Cynthia. How did you sleep last night?"

"Wonderfully," she replied. "Thank you."

"You haven't met my siblings yet, have you?" I asked. "This is Rosalie, Emmett, Jane, Riley, Victoria and Jasper." I gestured to each individually and they greeted her verbally or with a nod of acknowledgement as she greeted them in return. "And I'm guessing you've met Carlisle and Esme, my parents, who I believe are in the kitchen?"

As I finished my sentence, Esme popped out of the kitchen and smiled. "Good morning Alice, good morning Cynthia. Are you girls hungry? Carlisle and I have made you breakfast."

Cynthia and Alice got up and headed into the kitchen to eat while the rest of us remained where we were sitting, Rosalie snorting rather loudly once the girls were out of view.

"I don't know about that one," she remarked.

"Shut up, Rose," Victoria groaned. "Quit being a bitch."

"It's her job," Jasper chuckled. "She wouldn't be Rosalie if she wasn't."

"I like her," I said. "She's on Alice's side, which is all that matters to me. Plus, Alice said she looked into the future and saw Cynthia taking the news well when we tell her about what we are, so that can only be a good sign. Why don't you like her, Rose?"

"She didn't show me the proper respect," my sister replied, clearly jesting—although a part of it was probably true given Rosalie's massive ego.

"Oh, please," Jane snorted. "Get off your high horse, Rose."

"No, I rather like being on top," Rosalie stated.

"We already know that," Victoria snorted. "Subject change, please."

My siblings continued to bicker while I sank into the couch and thought about Alice's vision regarding Edward. If he was planning something, it wasn't likely to be a good thing and it no doubt would include Alice since he knew about her thanks to my stupidity. That put her and her sister in danger. I could care less about her parents, though he probably didn't know.

Another thing that I couldn't help thinking about was that strange envelope I'd found in Alice's room that she reacted strangely to when I gave it to her. I knew it was her business, but I wondered what was inside the envelope. Drawings? A document of some kind? A letter?

_It's not that big of a deal_, I said to myself. I felt a wave of calm envelop me and turned to Jasper, who gave me an inquisitive look. I mouthed 'I'm fine' to him and shook the thoughts away, not wanting to worry my brother since it would lead to the others being worried.

Alice and Cynthia eventually walked out from the kitchen. "That was delicious, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen," Cynthia said, patting her stomach. "I'm stuffed."

"Please, call us by our first names," Carlisle replied warmly. "We don't mind. You're our guests here and you shouldn't have to worry about such formalities."

"I'm starting to rethink my favorite place to eat," Alice giggled. "Yum!"

"I'm glad you liked it," Esme remarked with a cheerful grin.

Jane and Riley both stood up at that moment. "Hey Cynthia, Jane and I are heading into town to run some errands we were wondering if you wanted to come with us?"

Cynthia blinked, mildly surprised. "Uh…sure! That sounds cool. Alice, what about you?"

"No, you go ahead," Alice said, playfully nudging her sister. "Besides, you can flirt with all the cute boys you meet better without me around." She winked and her sister rolled her eyes. "Oh, I'm kidding, Cynth. You know you're the hotter one. Sometimes."

_Not to me_, I commented inwardly, smirking.

Cynthia, Jane and Riley ended up leaving ten minutes later after Cynthia had the chance to bathe and change her clothes. I knew it was still strange for her to be in our house, but I gave her a reassuring smile when her eyes met mine before she walked out the door.

"Be good to her," I speed whispered to my brother and sister.

"We will," Jane scoffed as they departed.

Once they left, the slight tension in the air disappeared and everyone went back to doing what they had been before. From what Alice had told me, there was still a bit of time left before Amara and Kate arrived, so I decided to use that to my advantage and pull Alice aside.

"Alice?" I gently nudged her and she smiled. "Can we talk for a moment in private?"

"Sure thing," she chirped.

I scooped her into my arms and dashed upstairs to my room, the most private place throughout the house where no one would disturb us. Once inside, I set her down and closed the door behind us, toying with whether or not I wanted to bring up the main thing on my mind.

I ran a hand through my hair. "Alice, it's nothing bad, but I was wondering—"

"About the envelope," she finished, sitting on my bed. "I know. I…saw this while I slept too; I simply chose not to comment on it since it was inevitable regardless. I knew the moment you handed me that envelope you would want to know what was inside and I don't blame you." She folded her hands and sighed. "If it's alright, I'd like to wait until your cousins leave."

I nodded and sat next to her, reaching out to stroke her cheek. "That's fine, Alice." I could see the hesitation in her eyes, however, so I knew whatever was inside made Alice nervous in some way. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, though."

She offered me a tiny smile and placed her hand on top of mine. "No, you told me about your past when you could have chosen not to, it's only fair that I do the same." She paused and her eyes glazed over briefly before she her smile turned into a grin. "Your cousins are here."

I rolled my eyes and sat up. "Prepare yourself for insanity, Alice."

"I live there already, actually," Alice giggled, jumping off my bed to plant a kiss on my cheek before running to the door. "C'mon, Bells, let's go downstairs! I want to meet the hot ladies!"

"Oh, brother," I chuckled. "Fine, let's go."

We headed downstairs just as the front door opened and Amara and Kate walked in, grinning like fat cats with canaries in their paws. Esme and Carlisle were there instantly to greet them, exchanging hugs and cheek kisses as they usually did.

"Why didn't your siblings come down?" Esme asked.

"Because they're lame," Amara replied.

Kate snickered. "To be fair, we did ask if they wanted to come visit you guys, but they were all busy doing their own shit. Carmen, Eleazar, Irina and Garrett went to Spain for a few weeks while Tanya and Laurent stayed behind in Alaska to do…their usual thing."

"It's nice of you to visit regardless," Carlisle said. "You're always welcome here."

"Thank you, Carlisle," Kate said with a grin. "Now where are our cousins? Where's my favorite bitch queen and her hunk? And let's not forget our favorite she-devil and her Southern gentleman? Get your asses out here already!"

Rosalie, Jasper, Emmett and Victoria came from the family room and greeted the duo the same way Carlisle and Esme had. I remained where I was, watching on in amusement as Emmett and Amara pounded fists together. Alice was at my side, staring on with wide eyes, likely at the size of Amara and the overall beauty the two had.

"Aha!" Kate shouted when she caught sight of me. "I wondered if you were even going to be here, Belly-Button. After all, considering how much embarrassment you'll be going through, I would have figured you'd try running away from us."

"We would've found her," Amara snorted.

Alice turned to me curiously. "Belly-Button?"

"Don't ask," I mumbled. Kate and Amara came over to me and I hugged and kissed them as they did me. After they finished, their eyes fell onto Alice, who had yet to move from where she'd been standing. "Kate, Amara, this is Alice Brandon, my lovely mate."

"Well aren't you cute?" Amara commented. She playfully elbowed Kate. "See? I told you she'd be cute as fuck after what we heard about her. You owe me twenty fucking bucks, bitch."

Kate rolled her eyes. "No I don't, you overgrown slut."

"Uh huh," Amara scoffed. "Whatever." She turned to Alice and stuck her hand out. "What's up, Alice? I'm Amara, the strongest woman in the world _and_ coolest, too."

Alice blushed slightly and shook her hand. "Nice to meet you."

Kate chuckled. "Looks like someone's blushing from being in the presence of two sexy women, huh? How adorable." Kate offered her hand after Amara retracted hers. "I'm Kate."

"It's nice to meet you too, Kate," Alice said, still blushing.

"How's our cousin been so far?" Amara asked.

"Wonderful," Alice replied, smiling at me, her eyes shimmering. "She's stood up for me, saved my life and helped me stand up to my awful parents. I love her. I've loved her for years and even now I'm falling deeper in love with her. I can't wait for our future together."

If it were possible, I would be blushing at her comments, but since I couldn't, I simply pulled her into my arms and kissed her sweetly on the lips several times in a row. Alice kissed me back happily and I heard several "aws" from surrounding family, though I ignored them.

"Hot!" Emmett boomed.

"Psh, you call that a kiss?" Amara snorted. "Please."

I pulled away from Alice. "She's human, Ama. A full kiss would probably suffocate her."

"Wait, you're holding back on me?" Alice asked, frowning cutely.

"Just a little," I replied with an innocent shrug. "Not intentional, Alice."

"I certainly hope not," Alice mumbled, though she clearly believed me. Her attention returned to the two grinning vampires standing before her and I noticed we were the only ones in the foyer now since the others had gone back to their own activities.

"Why don't we head to your room?" Kate asked. "We'll visit with you two for a while since we wanted to get to know Alice, then head back down and spend time with the rest of the family. By the way, where are Riley and Jane at?"

"They took Alice's sister Cynthia into town," I replied. "Cynthia doesn't know about our kind yet, and given how you two are, I didn't want her to be exposed the wrong way."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Amara questioned, lifting an eyebrow.

I snickered and led them upstairs to my room to talk. "I mean that you two don't hold back when it comes to being yourselves and I didn't want Cynthia to get freaked out by it. I want to approach the subject sensitively so she won't get scared of us when she learns what we are."

Kate and Amara sat down in chairs while Alice and I plopped down on my bed. "Am I correct in that your human mate, who is quite cute, might I say, can see the future?" Kate asked.

"That's right," Alice said. "I get vision when I sleep, at random and when I concentrate hard enough on certain things. I knew when you two would be here, for example."

"That's badass," Amara remarked. "Not as badass as what Kate and I can do, but close."

"What can you do?" Alice asked.

I groaned. _Oh Lord, here we go._

"How about I demonstrate instead of tell?" Amara asked with a smug grin. She whipped out a lighter and flicked it open, producing a tiny flame.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," I said, jumping up. "Don't you dare torch _anything_ in this room!"

"Relax, Belly-Button," Amara chuckled. "I'm a pro at this shit."

The small flame erupted into the air and transformed into a small bird that flew through my room, barely missing any of my furniture as it flew around until coming to a stop in front of Alice, who was utterly transfixed by the sight. The fire bird then flew back to Amara's opened hand and progressively grew smaller until it was nothing.

"Holy crap," Alice breathed. "That was awesome!"

"Thank you," the redhead crooned, pleased by my mate's reaction.

I rolled my eyes as I sat down and crossed my arms. Amara's ability was impressive, sure, and everyone knew she was a master at it, but I didn't want her burning anything by accident since she had a bad habit of "accidentally" burning things.

"No more, please," I whispered in a voice only Kate and Amara could hear.

"Yeah, yeah," Amara chuckled. "I'm done. I've proved my point."

"That's really cool!" Alice remarked gleefully, clapping. "What about you, Kate?"

"I can't show off the way my mate can," Kate replied, poking Amara's navel. "But…" She lifted her left hand and electricity started zipping around it, slowly growing in size until her entire arm was surrounded by electricity crackling like lightning. "Amara can manipulate fire, I can manipulate electricity. Combined, we're two of the most dangerous vampires in existence."

Alice's eyes were alight with wonder and I felt a little jealous. "That's so damn cool!" She turned to me, still grinning. "Do you have a cool power, Bella?"

I grimaced. "Well, uh…no, not really."

Alice snorted. "Yes you do, silly. Your power is being supremely awesome."

My grimace became a smile. "Thanks, Alice. I appreciate it." I leaned forward and kissed her gently on the lips. "You're just as awesome as I am, my dear."

"Tell me something I don't know," Alice replied with a wink. She turned back to Kate and Amara, curiosity in her eyes. "So you're the "cousins" of Bella's family?"

"Unofficially," Kate replied. "Carlisle and Esme met our coven back when my mother was still alive, about two hundred thirty years ago. We befriended them during that time and our friendship stuck around. Back then, we weren't vegetarian vampires like we are now and Amara wasn't with me, but things have changed for the better since then. Other than Sasha."

"Sasha?" Alice inquired.

"Their mother and creator," I replied. "Sasha made Kate here along with her sisters Tanya and Irina some two hundred fifty years ago. Let's just say that she made a simple mistake and…" I paused when I saw the look in Kate's eyes and winced. "Sorry, Kate."

"No, it's okay," Kate replied. "It happened a long time ago and while my sisters and I may be bitter about it, we're not going take that out on friends and family. My mother Sasha was a kind and powerful woman who was killed by heartless assholes because she chose to do something they deemed dangerous despite her control over it."

"Vampire politics," Amara said. "Don't worry about it; it's a crock of shit, plain and simple."

Alice frowned, but said nothing more on the subject. "How did you two become vampires?"

"I made myself into one," Amara informed her. "See, back when I was human, some crazy vampire bitch seduced me into following her and turned me into a slave. She made me fight other humans to survive and rewarded the winner with a night free of torture. Eventually, I broke out and found a needle with her venom inside, so I injected myself with it."

"Wait, venom?" Alice said, confused. "I don't understand. Vampires have venom?"

"You haven't explained this to her yet?" Kate asked, shaking her head at me. "Shame."

"I haven't really thought about it," I said with a scowl. "Besides, Alice kind of got thrust into this whole vampire thing so she hasn't had the time to learn every little detail. I planned on it, though; Carlisle and Esme both wanted to go over vampires with her and her sister eventually."

Kate chuckled. "Relax, Belly. I was teasing. I understand."

"I don't," Alice huffed, pouting petulantly. "You will give me some tidbits on this, right, Bella?"

I kissed her forehead. "Of course, Alice. By the way, you're adorable when you pout like that."

"I agree," Amara said. "You know what would make you even more adorable? I think you'd like cute as hell with a shorter haircut. Long hair's fine and all, but some girls just look hotter with short hair. You'd be one of them, I bet."

Alice brushed her fingers through her hair. "You think so?"

Both women nodded and I turned to appraise Alice's hair myself. I loved her hair the way it was, but I had to agree with Amara's statement. Plus, I had a weakness for girls with shorter hair myself that I'd never told anyone about, mainly since it wasn't anyone else's business. Still…

Alice seemed to toss the idea around in her head as she glanced at me. "What do you think?"

I shrugged. "It's your hair, Alice. You can style it however you want."

"That's not what I asked," Alice remarked. "Would I look sexier with short hair?"

I bit my lip. "Well, uh…in my opinion? Yes."

Alice smirked. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

We spent several more hours just talking, Alice asking Kate and Amara various questions, some pertaining to me, others to them and their family. Kate explained how she became a vampire and how her family slowly grew overtime despite their initial reluctance towards it and admitted to having a crush on me when we first met.

It was nice to be able to kick back and relax with my cousins. They may be pain in the ass a lot of time, but they were fun to be around and genuinely entertaining people. It was clear to me that Alice was growing to like them as well since she grew more comfortable being around them fairly quickly. I was happy; Alice being able to bond with my friends and family was great.

Eventually we headed downstairs to join the others, giving Kate and Amara the chance to spend time with the rest of the family. I mostly kept quiet other than a few sparse comments, but I was fine with that; I was content with seeing Alice smile and laugh. Her laughter was like music to my ears and it brought joy to my heart, something I needed.

The time soon came for Amara and Kate to leave, which saddened everyone. "Do you have to leave so soon?" Esme asked. "You've barely been here very long."

"Sorry, Esme," Amara replied. "There's been some shit going down over in Alaska and we need to be there in case something bad happens. We'll let you know what happens, if you want."

"Do you need assistance?" Carlisle asked.

"No, we're fine for now," Kate said. "To our knowledge, it's just another coven of vampires that are nearby that we need to make certain stay away from our land. We can handle it."

"You just want to hog all the action to yourselves," Emmett scoffed. "Typical."

"If you need us, call us," Esme said. "We'll be there for you."

Kate and Amara smiled. "Thank you, Esme," Kate said. "We appreciate it. I'll tell Tanya and the others that everyone said hello. And I'll be sure to note that Bella's mate is a cutie."

Alice curtsied. "Why thank you."

"Later on, guys," Amara said. "Keep in touch."

"Nice meeting you," Alice said, smiling to each.

"Likewise," the two replied before walking outside just as Jane and Riley's car pulled in.

_Perfect timing_, I thought, wondering how their trip had been. Cynthia's happiness was important to me because I knew it was to Alice. And anything Alice cared about was something—or someone—that I cared about, which was why I wanted to be cautious in my approach to telling Cynthia about the existence of vampires.

"Bella?" Alice's voice pulled me from my thoughts as she tugged on my shirt. "Can we talk?"

"Of course," I replied. "But don't you want to greet your sister?"

"I will," she said. "Right now, though…I have to talk with you. It's important." Shrugging, I walked upstairs with Alice just as the door opened and headed into my room. Alice paused at my doorway and sighed. "I'll be right back."

She disappeared for a few minutes, then reappeared with the envelope under her arm. It occurred to me what was on her mind, so I silently moved her into my room and shut the door, locking it to make certain there were no interruptions. When I turned to face Alice, her crystal blue eyes were full of sadness as they stared at the ground.

"Alice?" I immediately moved in close to cup her cheeks. "What's wrong?"

She looked up into my eyes. "Seeing how close Kate and Amara are and thinking about everything that's happened lately…I realize that I've been keeping things from you, things you deserve to know because you mean the world to me. I kept them…not because I didn't love or trust you, but because…I was afraid. I'm still afraid."

I slowly lifted her up and placed her on my bed, pressing my lips to hers. "You don't have to be afraid, Alice," I murmured. "I'll keep you safe. You have me and my family here for you."

"You don't know the full story about me," Alice said.

I laid next to her. "Then tell me the story. Let me hear what you have to say."

Alice licked her lips and handed me the envelope. "Open it. It'll be easier to explain that way."

I gently took the envelope from her hands and peeled it open, then reached inside. It was a single slip of paper. Confused, I set the envelope aside and read over the piece of paper, scanning each word thoughtfully until I came to the body of it.

It was a letter of some kind:

_Dear Mr. and Mrs. Brandon,_

_We are happy to report that the shock therapy treatments your daughter Mary has been receiving from us seem to have done the trick. She no longer believes she can see the future and there is clearly no mental damage whatsoever, so her well being is fine._

_Please note that should she ever regress, you may bring her back for another treatment upon scheduling it with our doctors. Do not worry about causing your daughter pain; these treatments are very light and cause only a slight jolt to her body, nothing too drastically painful. _

_However, at your request, we would like to see Mary again in the future, perhaps next year. We wish to know how her rehabilitation is going and whether or not she's received any more of these "visions" and help her accordingly so that she may be cured and have a normal life._

_Thank you very much for your time,_

_Doctor Anthony M. Edwards_

I read over the letter again and again, focusing specifically on the signature at the end. The name "Anthony M. Edwards" was eerily similar to Edward's full name and I started to worry as I clutched at the letter until I nearly tore it in half.

My lips pursed and my body tensed. "Alice, don't tell me…"

"It's him, Bella," Alice whispered. I looked up and saw tears forming in her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Bella. I should have told you before, but…I…" She sniffled and wiped her eyes. "He's not here just for you, Bella. He's after me, too."

**A/N: Some of you may have hoped for more from Amara and Kate, but don't worry, they'll be back in the future. For now, things are moving forward in terms of explanation and plot, I believe, which probably won't last long (since I generally can't help myself). At any rate, now the time has come to delve a bit into Alice's past. This confirms everyone's belief that she was sent to an asylum since I wanted to keep that aspect (sad as it may be) in the story.**

**More goodies on the horizon in terms of revelations. Until next time. **


	32. Alice

**Disclaimer: I take no credit for any of Meyer's Twilight characters, only my own and my ideas. I also take claim for the depth I give the characters she never showed love to.**

**Alice**

I sputtered. "W-what? What do you…?" I took another look at the slip in confusion, trying to wrap my head around what I was hearing. "I don't understand, Alice. What's this about? Shock treatments? Why in the fuck would your parents put you through that? And Edward? He was there the entire time? He TOUCHED you?"

Rage was building up within my chest rapidly; the idea of Alice being hurt was enough to enrage me, but Edward being anywhere near her furthered that rage into bloodthirsty fury. It made me want to charge over to the Brandons' house and rip their heads off, then—

"Bella, please, calm down," Alice whispered, trying to soothe me. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, I really am. I understand that you're mad at me, but I—"

"Mad at _you_?" I interjected, appalled at the very idea of being upset with her when there was no reason to be. "Alice, how could I be mad at you? You didn't do anything!"

"I…I didn't tell you about this," she replied, wiping her eyes.

Realizing that I was getting ahead of myself and that Alice was mistaking my rage—not to mention Jasper being downstairs—I took in a deep, unnecessary breath to calm myself down and took Alice's hands in mine, gazing into her shimmering blue eyes.

"I'm not mad at you," I said. "There's no reason for me to be mad, and even if there was some reason for me to ever be upset with you, which I doubt there would be, I wouldn't react like this, I swear to you. Please, tell me everything from the beginning, Alice. Help me understand."

Alice looked relieved at my words and moved into my arms. I held her as tightly as I dare while she buried her face into the crook of my neck, breathing in my scent several times in a row to help calm herself down in full. Once her heartbeat had steadied and her body relaxed, she pulled away enough to gaze into my eyes.

"When I was little, I started receiving premonitions at random," Alice said. "At first, I would see small things, like when I'd receive a gift or when a guest would arrive. I would react the way any child would and at the time, my parents didn't think anything of it. You see, believe it or not, my parents used to treat me like a human being. But that was years ago."

"As I grew older, my visions became stronger and I started having random flashes of people I didn't know. It scared me, so I went to my parents about it. They got freaked out and soon grew to believe that I was either possessed or insane, neither of which they liked. That's when they started treating me like shit and sought out a therapist for me to go to."

"My therapist was a bitch. She believed I had issues beyond that of what my parents feared and it scared me to death. It wasn't until later that I would learn this so-called therapist was actually being paid by parents to give me false information, likely to scare whatever crazy behavior I was having out of me. It didn't work, so they did the next best thing: shock therapy."

I let out a quiet growl at the very idea. "That's inhumane. And I'm a damned vampire, I know what inhumane means for crying out loud. What the fuck is wrong with them?"

"I've been asking that same question for a long time," Alice murmured. "They thought shock therapy would be the best solution since pain would snap me out of my craziness. They sent me away to some insane asylum for several years where I received weekly shock treatments that turned into daily treatments the more time I spent there. It was…a nightmare."

The pain in her voice and her eyes broke my heart and I held her tighter. "Oh, Alice…if I'd known about what you went through, I would have…"

"I know," Alice whispered. "Thank you, Bella. Don't feel badly, though. You had no way of knowing what went on. We didn't know each other yet even though I dreamt about you day in and day out. To be truthful, many of my visions were about you, in fact."

I winced. "So your visions of me are what caused you to suffer so much?"

Alice let out a brief growling noise. "Don't even think that, Bella." She shot up to press her forehead to mine and really look at me. "I'm telling you this now; what happened wasn't your fault. I used to blame myself, but the only thing I was at fault for was not shutting up sooner."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"It took me most of the time I spent there to realize that the visions weren't leaving," Alice admitted softly. "I ended up having to lie through my teeth to avoid receiving any more painful treatments. I was tired of sobbing myself to sleep every night and being sore every day. Only two of the people working there took pity on me; a male and female doctor. They were vampires."

My eyes widened. "Say what?"

"They were vampires," Alice said. "I know that now after thinking back to them. They were both pale-skinned, very attractive and they wore contacts a lot. Plus, they genuinely seemed uncomfortable around blood, though they never lost control. These doctors…Dr. Michaels and Dr. King…they treated me well and took care of me. They always said they could empathize."

"How did _he_ come into play?" I asked, nearly spitting out the question.

Alice licked her lips. "At first, I didn't know he was working there. I saw him once or twice during the night shifts, when the two vampires weren't around. He was always very flirty with the female patients and always seemed to be looking for something. He barely paid any attention to me until one day I had a vision with him in the same room."

She shuddered instantaneously. "It was about you, though at the time, I didn't know who you were. Still, I thought of you as my guardian angel. And the second that thought popped into my head, his cold eyes met mine and I felt him staring back at me. The smirk that came onto his face…I couldn't even begin to describe it, Bella. It was terrifying."

"Afterwards, I began getting these cold chills whenever I saw him. Even worse, I'm pretty sure he snuck into my room to watch me sleep on several occasions. He only spoke to me once and that was towards the end of my time there, which is odd since he was only there for about a month and a half or so. His words…I'll never forget them."

"What did he say?" I questioned.

"'Take care of yourself, Mrs. Brandon,'" she said, deepening her voice to a frightening degree that sounded nearly the same as Edward's. "'You should be thankful for your gift. You never know, it might bring you better things in life. I'll see you soon.'" She shuddered again and I wrapped a blanket around her body. "I had nightmares about his eyes for weeks."

"He never hurt or touched you?" I inquired.

"No," she replied. "He was always present for my shock therapy sessions, though. He stood in the background, watching on hungrily like he was waiting for an opportunity. In fact, his presence is what made me want to get the fuck out of there even faster, so I forced myself to learn how to act like my visions were nothing."

I began stroking her hair. "He won't get to you, Alice. I won't let him, I swear it."

"I believe you," she murmured. "And thank you. I think the most ironic part is that after I left, the two vampire doctors I knew mysteriously disappeared. Not only that, but they found the body of the real Anthony Edwards. He actually had existed, but Edward took his place."

I furrowed my brow. "Why the hell would he do that?"

"I don't know," Alice replied, shrugging. "I did notice that he seemed to favor one patient in particular, a girl with shoulder length blonde hair. I forget her name, but I know she's not full American. He always talked with her and stared at her like she was a toy of some kind. I was too freaked out by him to really find out more."

"That's not good," I mumbled. "Any time that bastard takes an interest in a human, it's a bad sign. I don't like it one bit, nor do I like the idea that he was anywhere near you before we even met, but at least he never tried anything."

"Never outwardly," Alice said. "But my subconscious had other plans."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I had nightmares about him constantly," Alice admitted. "Sometimes they would be very vague and were only of him moving and grinning crookedly. But there were times when I saw him kill someone, then look directly at me and tell me he was coming for me. Now that I think about it, he might have been doing that on purpose."

Alice took in a deep breath. "I've had two visions about him since then, one involving you two fighting, which was when I called Rosalie to save you. The other was before I met you, the day before I went out into the forest to try and find you, in fact. It scared me half to death when I saw him setting several bodies on fire. One of them looked…like yours."

"That's not going to happen," I growled. "I won't let him hurt me, my family _or_ you."

"I believe you," Alice said. "That doesn't mean I don't worry, though. I once dreamt about him going after Cynthia and turning her into his pawn. It was horrible. I woke up sobbing so loud Cynthia came to my room to calm me down. I've never held her tighter in my life."

I nodded understandingly. "We'll keep Cynthia safe, too."

"Maybe we should tell her about the whole vampire thing now," Alice offered. "The sooner she knows, the safer I feel she'll be. Sometimes I had visions about my sister deciding to run away from home and something happening to her, so I did what I could to convince her otherwise. I think that bringing her into this world will make her safer."

"Does she know about your visions?" I asked.

"Yes," Alice replied. "That's the main reason the whole vampire thing won't surprise her as much as it would a normal human. I used to confide in her about my visions. At first, she thought I was crazy, but over time she came to understand my problem and she's always been there for me when I needed to get my visions off my chest. I'm blessed to have her."

I smiled. "I'm glad you two are so close. You need someone like that in your life that isn't just me or my family, after all. And I'm sure you'll become very close to my family." I ran a hand through my hair. "Which…leads me to a question you won't like."

"You want to know if I'll tell them about my past," she said. "Yes?"

"Only if you're comfortable with it," I replied, pressing my lips to hers. "It's not because they need to know every personal detail about you, but the more they know, the better they'll understand what you've gone through in your life. Plus, any detail about Edward will piss them off and light an even larger fire under their asses. It did to mine."

Alice giggled. "A fire under your ass, huh? Do you want me to put it out?"

I noted the suggestiveness in her voice and smirked. "And how would you do that?"

She leaned forward and brushed her lips against mine. "Hard to say. I'd have to get creative."

"We both know you're very good at being creative," I breathed, lightly nipping at her ear.

Alice shuddered. "God, you're sexy, Bella."

"I try," I said, glancing at the slip of paper lying on my bed. "How come you keep this?"

Alice crawled further into my arms and sighed. "I don't know. Because I'm secretly masochistic and I enjoy reminding myself of past trauma?"

I frowned. "Alice…"

"I'm kidding," she murmured. "I know, crappy joke. But…to be truthful, I guess I kept it because it was a reminder of what I went through and a personal note to give me reason to never let my guard down." She turned to glare at the piece of paper. "That stinking note has tormented me for years. It's what made me grow to hate my parents."

"I hated them the first day I met them," I remarked.

"I don't blame you," Alice said. "I do wonder what they'll do now that their daughters have left them with all their belongings. I'd imagine they would erase us from our savings accounts or something along those lines so we lose all our insurance. Not that it really matters."

An idea popped into my head and I grinned. "I wouldn't worry too much about that, Alice. My family will be more than able to pay for you and Cynthia without problem. Which reminds me, did you want to go see your sister? I'm curious as to how Riley and Jane were with her."

"Sure," Alice chirped, kissing me, then rolling off my chest. "Oh…Bella?"

"Yes?" I asked, sitting upright.

"Thank you," Alice said, gazing lovingly into my eyes. "Your understanding means more to me than you could ever know. A normal person would have called me insane or a freak, but you…you still love me for what I am, even if I am a little crazy. That means a lot."

I reached out to stroke her cheek. "I'm hardly sane myself, Alice. Besides, only a brainless dumbass would ever think a sweet, sexy girl like you could be anything other than amazing. Never doubt that, Alice. You're wonderful the way you are, visions and all. If people can't see that, then that's their problem. Now let's go."

"Wait," she said, grabbing the note as I jumped off my bed. "I'm going to burn this."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"I've held onto old hatreds long enough," she said. "But…I guess I could let your parents read it, since they deserve to know about it before I destroy it for good."

"Whatever you want, Alice," I said, wrapping my arm around her. "It's your choice."

We headed out of my room and walked downstairs into the family room, where Cynthia was busy chatting with Jane like they were the best of friends. The sight was amusing, so for a moment, I stood where I was and watched them talk with Alice at my side until they noticed us, at which point Cynthia shot up and ran over to hug us both.

"Hey Bella, hey Alice!" she greeted us excitedly. "How's it going?"

"Okay," I replied. "How are you, Cynthia?"

"I'm fantastic!" she replied, grinning ear to ear.

I frowned and glanced at my smallest sibling. "What did you do, Jane?"

"What the hell does that mean?" Jane grumbled, glaring at me. "You think because she's in a good mood that I did something? Were you expecting her to be bored shitless or whimpering just because it's me? C'mon, Bella! I'm not _that_ bad! Usually…"

I shrugged and appraised Cynthia's jolly demeanor for a moment. "I expected her to be a bit mellower, not overly excited like she had thirty cups of coffee in one sitting." _That is what coffee does, isn't it?_ I was fairly certain it did…

Alice giggled. "We did that once, actually. Holy shit, what a day."

"Yeah, we were bouncing off the walls like mad," Cynthia snickered. "Good times."

"Seriously, Riley, what did Jane do?" I asked, much to my sister's annoyance.

"I believe it's safe to say that she and Cynthia here bonded," Riley replied. "They have similar tastes in just about everything imaginable. They like the same movies, tv shows, books, music…and I'm fairly certain they both love the same clothes. At least, that's what I got out of their conversation on the drive home. I tuned out every now and again."

"Because you're a boy," Jane snorted.

"No, because I had to remind you to keep your eyes on the road," he corrected her.

Rosalie scoffed loudly. "If she and Jane like the same kinds of clothes, we're all fucked."

"Rosalie!" Esme chided. "Language, young lady."

"What?" Rosalie asked. "I'm sure Alice and Cynthia cuss too, Esme."

Alice giggled again. "Cynthia swears like a sailor most of the time."

"Do not," Cynthia huffed. "Well, okay, I do. I try not to, but I do." At that point Cynthia's eyes wandered and she noticed the paper in Alice's hand, recognizing it immediately. "Alice…don't tell me that's the…" She pointed as her words died off and Alice nodded.

"It is," Alice replied. "Bella deserved to know. I think all the Cullens do, Cynth."

Cynthia's eyes grew worried as she looked to me, then back at her sister. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," Alice replied. "And…I think you deserve to know something important as well."

Cynthia looked baffled at her words, but she seemed to understand. "Alright."

"Let's sit first," I suggested, indicating the couch. We sat down, Cynthia seating on one side while Alice naturally sat on the other. The rest of my family came to join us as Emmett shut the TV off, clearly sensing that there was something important to discuss. "Alice, do you…?"

She nodded nervously and I squeezed her shoulder. I also felt a gentle blanket of calmness fill the room and shot a thankful smile at my closest brother, who nodded silently in return.

Alice cleared her throat. "Everyone, I…well first, I'd like to thank you all for grabbing our things from our house, that couldn't have been easy to pull off. And thank you for allowing us to stay in your home even though we're not like you. I'm sure it's been difficult."

"It hasn't been a bother at all," Carlisle disagreed. "We're happy to have the company."

Cynthia furrowed her brow in confusion. "Wait, they got our stuff? When?"

"I'll fill you in after, Cynth," Alice said. "Promise." She lifted the slip of paper up and skimmed it, then gulped. "Um…Esme? Carlisle? Would you, um, read this over? I don't know if I…can speak the words on this slip of paper. I'm sorry."

"It's no trouble, dear," Esme said, reaching out to take the piece of paper from her hand.

She and Carlisle glanced it over rapidly themselves and I saw a variety of emotions dance across their faces, starting with curiosity, then going to shock, horror and anger before finishing with the type of quiet fury I'd grown to see in their eyes whenever they were beyond pissed.

"This…" Carlisle was speechless, which was usual for him. Unlike Esme, Carlisle was the least vocal about his rage and showed it the least, but that didn't mean it couldn't be heard underlying his voice. "This is terrible, Alice. I cannot believe that your parents would submit you to such treatment, that doesn't even work, by the way, over something so simple."

There was a flash of murderous intent in Esme's eyes. "Those fucking monsters," she seethed, too quiet for Alice or Cynthia to hear.

Jasper shot out a stronger wave of calm. "What's the problem?"

Neither of them wanted to repeat the words on the paper, so, after getting the unspoken okay from Alice, I decided to do it, which was odd since usually I hated this type of thing.

"Alice's parents sent her to an asylum to receive shock treatment for her visions," I said, not even bothering to hide the disgust in my voice. "And to make matters worse, _he_ was there during her last month. He signed the note he sent to her parents and Alice confirmed it."

"Shock therapy?" Riley asked. "That's…"

"Cruel," Jane finished in a low hiss. "And you're telling me that fucker was there, too?"

"So he knows about what she can do," Victoria said. "Which means he has even more of a reason to go after her now. Son of a bitch."

"He won't get her," I growled. "I guarantee that."

"No, he won't," Emmett agreed.

Cynthia, who was clearly lost at this point, spoke up at that moment. "Um, Alice?"

Alice pulled away from me and moved so she was sitting next to her sister. "Sorry, Cynth. I guess telling you first would have been better so you weren't confused. Where to start, though?"

"Just say it, Alice," I said. "If you're sure she'll take it well, tell her outright."

Alice took her sisters hands in her own. "Cynth…the Cullens aren't human."

Cynthia blinked a few times. "They're not human?" Alice nodded. She turned to me and I nodded as well, then returned her attention to Alice. "Oh. So I was right. Cool." Her attention switched back to me. "May I ask what you really are, then?"

I was a little caught off guard by the nonchalance, but went with it. "Vampires."

Cynthia seemed relieved and smiled. "Oh, thank God. I thought I was going insane like my sister here was. I guess I am, but I'm right at the same time. That's pretty damn cool."

Everyone was speechless. No one seemed to know how to react that Cynthia's complete and utter lack of a reaction to finding out what we were, even Alice, who had seen it coming, looked relatively surprised. She blinked and cupped her sister's cheeks.

"Are you feeling okay, Cynthia?" Alice asked. "For real?"

"Of course," Cynthia replied. "I'm fine, honest. Why?"

"Because we just told you we were vampires and you hardly seemed surprised," Rosalie pointed out, clearly not liking the fact. "What the fuck is up with that? Explanations, please."

Cynthia bit her lip, clearly having heard the mistrust in Rosalie's voice. "I…look, I know this going to sound odd, but I kind of had a guess that you weren't really _human_. I remember the first time I saw you guys in person, walking together all gorgeous to the point where my initial reaction was that you were angels or something. Then I remember Alice's visions."

"She's told me all about the things she's seen and the nightmares she's had," Cynthia explained, her eyes meeting mine. "I remembered every detail; including the way she described her guardian angel, which I honestly believed to be you, Bella. I never said anything because I wasn't one hundred percent certain, but I always had a sneaking suspicion for some reason."

"The more I thought about your family and the more details I learned, it all seemed to piece together a very strange puzzle. I mean, you never appeared in the sun, I've heard stories about how you never eat a bite at school and the night you came over to our house for dinner, I saw things in your eyes I'd never seen in a regular person's eyes. I knew something was up."

"So you deduced that we weren't human?" I asked.

Cynthia nodded. "No one has pale white skin, gold colored eyes, ethereal beauty and moves the way you guys do. I've studied tons of people before and they've never glided across the ground like they were dancing without even trying to. Plus, after thinking back to all of Alice's dreams and the visions…it screamed supernatural. I guess I never really put it together until now."

Again the room fell silent and I began to wonder if Cynthia was more intelligent than any of us had given her credit for. I saw no sign of deceit in her eyes, voice or the way she looked at us, but I couldn't figure out what the deal was. All eyes ultimately fell on Jasper.

"She's telling the truth," he said. "I'd know otherwise if she weren't. It's all true."

"I'll be damned," Victoria breathed. "That's a first."

"Great," Rosalie complained. "Now we have humans spotting how different we are and putting two and two together. What next, a human mind reader who finds out our fucking secret and starts spreading it across town? This is _not_ good news."

"I never told anyone," Cynthia said. "Besides, most people don't really take the time to look past your striking appearances. I just…like to study people. It's a hobby, I guess." She shrugged, uncertain of how to continue her explanation. "I'm sorry?"

"Don't apologize, dear," Esme said. "There's no reason for it. We're simply shocked by your keen eye; most humans don't notice those sorts of things. Generally if they did, we would give them reason not to or leave, but we won't be doing that this time around. In fact, I must congratulate you for being so incredibly sharp. That's very impressive."

"Thank you, Miss Cullen," Cynthia replied, blushing a little.

"It's Esme," my mother corrected her with a warm smile. "You and your sister are our guests, so first name basis is quite fine with us."

Carlisle seemed intrigued. "You know, I'm wondering. Seeing as how Alice has visions of the future, something most ordinary humans do not, would it be farfetched to believe that you may have an inner gift of some kind as well, Cynthia?"

Cynthia blinked. "I…never thought of that before."

"Neither have I," Alice admitted, equally surprised. "How odd."

"Dude," Emmett breathed. "How badass is it that we have two humans in our house with gifts? I mean, I don't think I've ever heard of humans having that before."

"We should bring Eleazar here," Victoria suggested. "He would be able to confirm that theory."

"Eleazar?" Cynthia questioned.

"He's another vampire," I replied. "He lives in Alaska with another coven that are close friends of ours. They're basically family to us. He has a special power like your sister does; he can tell if an individual, human or vampire, has a unique ability and how to combat it if he chose to. We call them gifts, you see. Several of us have gifts, in fact. Jane, Victoria and Jasper all do."

Cynthia's eyes lit up with interest. "Really? What can you do, Jane?"

"I can make people feel a strong, burning pain," she replied, grinning. "It's fun."

"I can sense the emotions of others and manipulate them," Jasper said. "Prior to this, I used my gift to send waves of calmness to your sister to help her speak."

"Mine is the ability to know how to survive," Victoria replied. "No matter what the situation is, I'll know exactly where to go and what to do to stay alive, even if it means my body moving on its own to survive something trying to kill me."

"Wow," Cynthia breathed, clearly eating everything up. "That's badass."

"Just because the rest of us don't have gifts doesn't mean we aren't badass," Rosalie commented, crossing her arms. She always did hate not having a gift of her own, although I often told her that her beauty and strength made up for that fact.

"We all know you're badass too, Rose," I said.

Carlisle and Esme shared a look. "Alice, Cynthia, would you two care to learn more about our kind to better help you understand?" Esme offered. "Carlisle and I would be more than happy to go over these things with you now, if you'd like."

Alice and Cynthia glanced at one another, then nodded enthusiastically. Carlisle and Esme ended up leading them upstairs to their study room to better explain vampires to the two, which I thought was a good idea since they were the best at explaining things. Plus, it gave me the opportunity to speak with my siblings on the matter in private.

Once I heard the sound of the door shutting, my siblings and I huddled together close. "I guess that explains why that asshole was here," I mumbled, clenching and unclenching my hands. "I won't let him come anywhere near her or her sister, mark my words. Knowing that he's after her…I couldn't live with myself if anything happened."

"Nothing will happen, Bella," Jasper said, squeezing my shoulder. "You're not in this alone, either; you've got the rest of us by your side as well. I have to say, Alice's sister is very perceptive. I think she'll fit right in with the rest of the family."

"Are we positive we can trust her?" Rosalie asked.

"Yes," I replied. "I trust her."

"So do I," Jane said. "I think she's cool."

"Give her a chance, Rose," Victoria suggested. "I think you'll warm up to her."

"I'm merely being precautious," Rosalie stated. "Now that we know Edward has made Alice a target, we need to be careful from here on out. He could strike at any given moment and there's no telling what the bastard has up his sleeves."

"Alice had a vision about him," I said. "She said she saw him in the forest talking to someone in a few weeks. We could use that to our advantage and plan an ambush on him."

"I like that plan," Emmett remarked, grinning. "I like it a lot."

"Agreed," Victoria crooned. "We can catch him and rip him into pieces."

"Someone will need to stay behind to be with Alice and Cynthia," Riley said.

"We'll worry about it when the time comes," I stated, looking around at their faces. "One way or another, I'm not going to fall for the same trap again. After hearing what Alice went through, I refuse to let her suffer another day of her life."

"We're with you," Rosalie said without a shred of doubt in her eyes.

"We should use her parents as bait," Jane suggested. "That would be fun."

"He'd probably see through that," Jasper remarked.

"It would still be fun," Jane said, sticking her tongue out.

"I agree," I admitted with a wry grin. "But seriously, Jane. What did you do to Cynthia?"

**A/N: And there you have a bit about Alice and the knowledge that she and Edward met before. The plot thickens. Also, I enjoyed being able to give Cynthia some more characterization since I felt she needed it. I don't want her to be a background character with only a few lines, I want her to be Alice's sister and I feel that's what I'm going to be portraying as time goes on. The same can be said for the other Cullens; I plan to delve into more of their past lives and how Bella helped them out to become the center of the family like she is now as the story gradually continues.**

**Which brings me to a question: which Cullen's backstory do you want to hear about first between Jane, Riley and Victoria? They're the only "non-canon" Cullens in the family and while the others do have several notable differences in their lives, they have more or less the same stories, not that I won't include them. Jane, Riley and Victoria, however, are all unique in how they came to be, so I'll let you guys decide. I did this on Twitter and got some votes, but what of my readers? Let me know: either the feisty Jane, the collective Riley or the wild Victoria? **


	33. Speed

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any Twilight characters, I own only my characters and ideas.**

**Speed**

As luck would have it, the sun was out on Monday, meaning that we had the chance to miss out on going to school to do our own things, namely a sparring session that Emmett suggested and everyone agreed to the day before. It also gave Alice and Cynthia the chance to see vampires in action, as well as catch a glimpse of us in the sunlight.

Before we did that, though, I wanted to visit the girls and see how they were doing. They'd gone to bed the following night after speaking with Carlisle and Esme. Alice did come down to kiss me goodnight and I tucked her in, but that was the last I'd seen of them until today.

I walked upstairs and knocked on the door to the room, which Cynthia opened. "Oh, Bella, good morning," she greeted me with a smile.

"Hello Cynthia," I greeted back. "How are you doing?"

"Okay," she replied. "Now that I've had a day to really absorb the fact that I'm living with vampires and that my psychic sister is in love with a vampire, I think I'm great. To be honest with you, a part of me thought I was dreaming when I found out last night. But I know I'm not dreaming and…I wanted to say thanks for everything you've done for Alice and I."

"You're welcome," I replied. "It's the least I could do. Where is Alice, by the way?"

"Showering," Cynthia said, rolling her eyes. "My sister _loves_ her showers. That girl could take a day long shower if she could get away with it. The worst part is that she does it and walks out looking fine, not a single wrinkle in her skin. It's totally unfair."

I snickered. "That sounds just like her."

"Say, can we…talk for a moment?" Cynthia asked. "In private, I mean."

"Sure," I replied, stepping into her room as she shut the door. "What about?"

Cynthia ran a hand through her hair. "Listen, Bella…I'm thankful for the way you've treated Alice, more than words can express. She's always been a bit different, but most people tend to go against her when they learn more about who she is. I've always protected her as best as I could from our parents and everyone else. It's my job as her older sister."

I nodded as she sat down and I pulled a chair up to her. "I understand."

There was worry in her eyes when she looked at me. "Be honest with me. Is this permanent?"

"You mean my relationship with her?" I inquired.

"Yes," Cynthia replied. "Alice has been betrayed enough times in her life. I don't want to see her get hurt again. I get that you're a vampire and the fact that you and your family don't kill humans is great to know, but I need to hear from you that this isn't just a fling of some kind until my sister gets too old for you and you, I don't know, leave us or some shit."

I scoffed mentally at the thought, but kept a straight face. "Cynthia," I said. "This isn't a fling; I can assure you of that. Vampires don't fall in love with more than one person, not on the level that I feel for Alice. She's my mate; I have no doubt about that. And she will remain my mate no matter what happens. That bond cannot break or change. Ever."

"And another thing that…I'm not one hundred percent certain on myself, but I figured it would come into conversation at some point. About Alice being human and aging…" I bit my lip and watched as my unspoken words dawned on Cynthia.

"Holy fuck," she breathed. "You…you're going to…to…turn her?"

"Only if she wants it," I replied. "And even if she does, not until school's over. I…I wouldn't be the one doing it, Carlisle and Esme likely would. I just…shit, I don't even know how to word it."

"You wanted my blessings on it," Cynthia surmised. "That's it, huh?"

"Pretty much," I admitted. "You're her sister. If anything, you're the only family she's got and your opinion is highly important to her, and to me as well."

Cynthia considered my words and shrugged. "It's her call. If she wants to be immortal, then she can be immortal. I won't hold her back. It wouldn't be right. But." She met my eyes. "If Alice becomes a vampire, I want in too. No question about it."

My eyes winded and I held my hands up. "Whoa there, Cynthia. That's a big decision to make on the fly, especially when I haven't even talked with your sister about it yet." I saw the fire in her eyes, however, so I nodded. "If she turns, then you can be turned to. Our family would be happy to have the two of you as official members."

"I'd like that," Cynthia said. "Alice would like it, too."

"May I ask why you seem willing without even thinking it over?" I asked.

She shrugged. "What's to think over? Live out the rest of my days as a boring human or become a kickass immortal with a few minor setbacks here and there, those are my choices. Honestly? I think I'd rather take the whole immortal thing any day of the week. And…weird as this may sound, I used to fantasize about being a vampire when I was little."

I lifted an eyebrow. "Really, now?"

"Yeah," she admitted embarrassedly. "When we were kids, Alice and I were really into monster movies and one time at Halloween, I dressed as a vampire. I used to have a big vampire obsession until my parents thought I was going to turn into some twisted demon child. They tried to throw away all my vampire stuff, but I kept it in secrecy."

"I like you even more, Cynthia," I said with a smirk. "What about Alice?"

"She was into werewolves and witches," Cynthia replied. "Do they exist, by the way?"

I scowled at the knowledge that my mate liked werewolves over vampires. "You would need to ask Carlisle and Esme about that, I honestly wouldn't know. If they do, then they're probably having an easier time keeping hidden than we are. There is something relatively similar to werewolves, but I, unfortunately, can't give you the full details."

"How come?" Cynthia asked.

"We're forbidden from mentioning it," I replied with a snort. "It's stupid, but given the intelligence you and Alice have, you'll probably figure it out soon enough."

Cynthia looked like she wanted to ask more, but Alice waltzed in at that moment wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around her body. She saw me and seemed surprised, but the surprise didn't last for very long and was soon replaced by a smirk.

"Hey there, sexy," Alice greeted. "If I'd known you were here, I would've worn something different when I walked in. How unfortunate that I was too focused on my shower to bother looking into the future and seeing it." She grinned wider when Cynthia groaned.

"Look, I got nothing wrong with lesbians or anything, but not with me here, please?" she asked.

"Then leave," Alice replied. "You're not forced to stay here."

"I think I might have to," Cynthia said, glancing between us. "See you downstairs. Sheesh."

She left the room as Alice came closer to me and I stood up. Our eyes bored into one another as I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her closer, brushing my lips against hers. She kissed me back gleefully several times in a row before pausing and smirking.

"Shall I drop the towel?" she asked.

"Uh…yes?" I replied, glancing down at it and wishing it were non-existent right now. Without a word, Alice undid her towel and let it drop to the ground only to reveal that she was fully clothed underneath, much to my annoyance. "Not cool, Alice."

She burst into a fit of giggles as she nuzzled into my neck. "I thought it was funny, actually."

I let my hands dropped and gave her ass a light squeeze, making her gasp in shock. I grinned at her reaction, kissed her nose, then winked before dashing out of the room and heading downstairs, pleased with my ability to move faster than she could.

"Damn it, Bella!" Alice shouted from upstairs. "You stink!"

I snickered evilly as my family gathered in the foyer. "Is everybody ready?" Esme asked, looking around to each of us, a huge grin on her face. She had a picnic basket in one hand which I figured to be for Alice and Cynthia in case they were hungry.

Alice joined us moments later, glaring at me, although she was fighting back a smile. "I can't even stay annoyed at you," she remarked, wrapping her arms around me. "I'm whipped."

"_I_ could've told you that," Cynthia chortled.

"Fuck you, Cynthia," Alice huffed.

"Whoa there," Rosalie commented in amusement. "Calm it down, children."

"Are you ready to go, girls?" Carlisle inquired.

"I am," Cynthia replied.

"Me too," Alice chirped, grinning. "I can't wait to see my Bella kick ass!"

Emmett guffawed. "Yeah, right! She'll be the one eating dust this time around! We're not pulling punches because her girlfriend is gonna be watching!"

"Nope," Victoria agreed, grinning evilly.

"It should be fun," Jasper said with a wry smile of his own.

"Funny, guys," I deadpanned. "Real funny. Let's go and we'll see, shall we?"

We left the house at that point and headed out to our usual training spot in the forest, in a part where we never had to deal with hikers or humans in general. Interestingly enough, Alice and Cynthia would be the first humans to ever witness our family's training session, which would definitely be something new for the family as a whole.

I knew automatically that most of my siblings would be pulling out their fancy moves for the sake of showing off since we had humans watching us. I planned to do the same, but I also wanted to use the training session to my advantage and improve.

_I'll be damned I'm going to let Edward best me again_, I growled internally. _No way in hell._

Once we reached our training spot, Esme pulled a blanket out of the basket and set it under the shade of nearby trees. Currently the sun was being blocked off by a few clouds, but within seconds the clouds dispersed, bathing the area in sun, including us. I watched as my skin lit up in a brilliant glow and turned to see Alice and Cynthia's mouths dropping open in awe.

"Holy shit," they said in unison.

I smirked and turned back around to crack my knuckles. "So who do I get first?"

"Me," Rosalie replied. "If you think you can handle it, baby sister."

I snorted. "Rose, Jane's the baby sister and you know it. And as far as handling you, I think I'll do fine considering the fact that you never get serious in a fight. You're too afraid to break a nail or ruin whatever ostentatious attire you happen to be wearing."

Rosalie crouched down in a battle ready position as everyone else paired up with someone except for Jasper, who remained on the sidelines for the time being due to uneven numbers. I did the same, though I made sure to pause and glance over my shoulder at Alice. She was transfixed on my glowing body with wide eyes sparkling with love and awe. It made me smile.

"I'm going to wipe that smile off your face," Rosalie taunted before charging towards me.

I met her halfway and my right fist collided with her left, creating a powerful shockwave that shook the ground beneath our feet as the others began training as well. Rosalie and I speedily brawled each other for a good five minutes without stopping, each of us bobbing, weaving and blocking the other's strikes every single time.

Eventually we jumped back, neither of us landing any hits. "Not bad, Belly-Button," Rosalie crooned, grinning when I scowled at my nickname. "You've gotten better."

"So nice of you to notice," I replied. _But I'm not good enough. Not yet._

I sped in again, but this time, I didn't bother with a frontal assault and instead zipped behind my tall, beautiful sister, who seemed mildly surprised by the change in tactic. I went for her legs, but she was able to move in time, lightly smacking me on the shoulder at my failed attempt.

"Nice try," she said.

I didn't respond verbally and rushed in again, this time watching my sister's movements more closely as I repeated the motion of going behind her. Rather than go for her legs, however, I decided I would go for her right arm. First I shot my left leg out at her other arm, causing her to turn and block, but I quickly redrew my leg and instead used the opening to snag her arm.

In a flash I had my sister on the ground, keeping one knee on her arm as I pinned her throat with my right hand, though I was sure to be gentle. Rosalie stared back at me with genuine shock in her eyes, something that made me smile once again.

"How was that?" I asked, letting her up.

"Better," she replied, quickly dusting herself off. "You're a lot faster than I remember."

I frowned. "Still not good enough, though. I have to be faster than this if I want to outmatch that bastard. He may have some strength over me, but I won't let allow that to be a factor."

Rosalie grinned. "I'm not even warmed up yet, truth be told."

We lunged for each other again. All I could focus on was moving faster than Rosalie did because I knew I could. I _had_ to. I was strong, but speed was my greatest weapon. It always had been and I needed to use it to my advantage for when I fought Edward again, because I knew I would. I wouldn't let him get away. I simply _couldn't_.

I felt something deep within me, something I'd never felt before. It was…primal, yet strangely familiar to me, like a presence drifting in the back of my mind. I mentally delved into the sensation and suddenly everything around me slowed down.

Rosalie had been about to swing her arm at me, yet for some reason, her entire body moved at a snail's pace despite it not showing on her face. My eyes widened when I looked around and saw that everyone else was moving just as slow and I wondered if I somehow ended up in that crazy sci-fi movie Emmett made the family watch years ago. The Matrix, I think.

_What the hell is going on?_ I wondered. _Wait…_

I took a step forward and found that I moved at a regular pace. It shocked me and, at first, I thought that I'd lost my mind. Then I realized something: I had a gift. The very thought that I could do…whatever the hell it was I'd done made me beam in glee, but I didn't let it last too long because I wasn't sure if I could _stop_ what I was doing.

Deciding to use the moment to my advantage, I let loose a brief barrage of strikes to Rosalie's opened chest and mid-section, watching in amusement and intrigue as neither her body nor her face showed any sign of reaction. With a shrug, I gave her a light smack in the face and sped around to grab her from behind and slam her to the ground.

Just as my sister's body hit the ground, Rosalie blinked and everything returned to normal, causing me to actually blink in genuine surprise. The sounds of my siblings sparring halted immediately and I felt all eyes on me as Rosalie gawked at me, unable to even form a sentence.

"What the hell just happened?" Emmett asked eventually, breaking the silence.

"I have no idea," I replied, helping my sister up.

Rosalie just stared at me and grimaced as she clutched her chest. "The fuck? What the hell did you do, Bella? One second I'm about to get a hit in, the next I'm on the ground and now…" She paused and rubbed the back of her head. "Ow. Okay, what the fuck. What did you do?"

I shrugged innocently. "I think I may have discovered that I have a gift?"

"Really?" Carlisle asked. He and Esme came over to me and soon everyone was standing around me, curious about my discovery. "What happened, Bella?"

"Well…" I rubbed the back of my neck as Alice came to stand by my side, still slightly entranced by seeing me in the sunlight. "While I was fighting Rose, I felt this really weird sensation in the back of my mind. Next thing I know, everything around me seems to slow down like that one movie, the Matrix, only I could move at my regular speed."

"So you opted to beat me while this was happening?" my sister asked. "How sweet."

"I barely touched you, you big baby," I replied with a scoff.

"Fascinating," Esme remarked. "Do you think you have some sort of time altering gift?"

I frowned. "No, I don't think it has to do with time. I think…maybe its speed related? Before I felt the weird feeling, that's what I was focusing on was moving faster. Speed is my forte even though I know I'm strong, so that would be my guess. But I don't fully know."

"Perhaps we should call Eleazar and him come visit us sometime this week?" Jasper offered.

"I think that would be a splendid idea," Carlisle said. "It would also help confirm whether or not Cynthia has a gift of some kind as well."

"Do you think you could do it again, dear?" Esme asked. "When you first performed it, most of us were preoccupied and I'm sure we'd all love to see it for ourselves."

"I can try," I replied, glancing at my sister. "If Rosalie is up for it, that is."

Rosalie snorted. "Don't get overly cocky, Belly-Button. I can still beat you even if you do have a gift that lets you move faster and don't you doubt it for a minute."

"I never said I didn't, Rose," I chuckled, crouching down as the others backed away.

Rosalie did the same and stood still while I tried to focus on that feeling inside of me. After a moment, I was able to and tapped into it, causing the world around me to slow down. I glanced around, noting the statuesque appearance of my family members as they watched on. Only Alice and Cynthia showed some sign of movement, minor as it was.

I lunged for Rosalie and, rather than attack her, instead messed up her hair and pulled her top off, exposing more of her skin to the world, which would likely garner an entertaining reaction from the others. Grinning giddily, I tossed her top over a tree branch and playfully smacked my sister's ass before moving to where Alice was and sitting down.

Just as I did, things returned to normal and Rosalie's eyes bulged. "What the fuck?" she shrieked, whipping her head around furiously. "Where's my shirt?"

The others had a mixture of reactions: Emmett clapped like it was his birthday, Jasper, Riley, Victoria and Jane guffawed, Esme and Carlisle shook their heads in mild amusement and both Brandon girls gaped at the sight, though for different reasons.

"Damn," Alice breathed.

"She is pretty hot, isn't she?" I asked, causing both humans to jump.

"Shit!" Alice yelped, colliding with her sister, causing both girls to fall to the ground. She clutched her chest as she stared at me with wide eyes, the others doing the same, even Rosalie despite missing her shirt. "Don't do that to me, Bella!"

I snickered. "Sorry, Alice, sorry Cynthia."

"Incredible," Carlisle remarked. "It's almost as though you were never standing in front of Rosalie to begin with." He turned to Esme. "Did you catch any of her movement? I saw a brief flicker of it, but I honestly believed my eyes were playing tricks on me."

"I felt the same way," Esme admitted, equally intrigued. "Very impressive, dear."

"Where's my damn shirt at?" Rosalie growled.

"You don't like walking around topless?" I asked.

"I like it," Emmett boomed, giving his wife a goofy thumbs up.

Rosalie considered my comment and shrugged. "I do, yes. I'm way too sexy not to enjoy parading my body around, there is that, plus Emmett's reaction. What the hell, why not? I do want to know where my—there it is!" She ran over and snagged it from the branch I'd hung it over and slipped it back on. "There. I don't need to be shirtless to be sexy."

"Emmett would disagree," Jasper snickered.

"Aw, man," Emmett groaned, hanging his head.

"Don't worry Em," Rosalie reassured him. "We'll have some fun later on, I promise."

He grinned and everyone else rolled their eyes. "Jazz, go ahead and step in," I said. "I think I'll sit out and watch with Alice and Cynthia for a while."

Jasper nodded. "Certainly." He turned to his "twin" and smiled. "Shall we go a round?"

"Hell yes," Rosalie replied.

My siblings quickly went back to their matches while Carlisle and Esme watched on, Alice and Cynthia coming to join me beneath the shade of the trees. Cynthia brought over the picnic basket and pulled out a sandwich that Esme had made for herself and her sister, who ate silently next to me, inching closer every few seconds.

"You can sit on my lap, if you'd like," I offered her with a smile.

She smiled. "I will when I'm finished eating. I know my food smells bad and all."

"That's sweet of you," I remarked. "Sorry about startling the two of you, again."

"Don't sweat it," Cynthia replied. "It's no big deal. Alice has done that to me more times than I can count. Lately she's stopped, which I'm glad for." She shot her younger sibling a look when Alice giggled mischievously. "I'll slap you if you even think about it, Alice."

Alice looked mock mortified and turned to me. "Bella! She's threatening me!"

I giggled. "You shouldn't scare your sister, Alice. You might give her a heart attack."

"I would _never _do such a thing," Alice said, gasping dramatically. "Honestly!"

"You're full of shit," Cynthia snorted, rolling her eyes.

"Bella!" Alice whined, moving into my arms.

I kissed her forehead and hugged her tightly, nuzzling into her neck to breathe her scent in. "Am I going to have to babysit you two?" I asked teasingly, batting my eyes at Cynthia when she started to giggle. Soon enough all three of us were giggling like sugar-high school girls, much to the amusement of my parents, who briefly turned to watch us.

"It's nice to see you girls having fun," Esme remarked. "Jane, don't aim low on your brother, that's not the right way to fight a family member. Save it for the enemies." We stopped giggling and I appraised my mother as she smirked. "Fighting dirty is the only true way to fight, girls."

"Unless it's family," Carlisle added.

"True," Esme agreed, still smirking. "But either way, we women are superior. We don't have the same weaknesses that men do, wouldn't you agree, dear?"

"I agree that you certainly know how to be terrifying," Carlisle stated. "In terms of strength, I'd say we're even in all aspects, however. If I remember correctly, our track record for sparring matches is evened out as well, yes? So I'd advise not gloating to impress the girls, hun."

Esme scowled. "Not fair, Carlisle."

"Your parents are kickass," Cynthia said.

I smiled proudly. "I know. You gotta love 'em."

"Wish our parents were that cool," Cynthia mumbled under her breath.

I didn't say anything in response, though I did notice the expression on Carlisle and Esme's faces change when they heard the remark. I decided to lay back with Alice still snuggling into my arms, resting her head against mine as her lips brushed against my cheek.

"Did you like the display you got?" I asked, running my fingers through her hair.

"I did," Alice replied. "I liked it a lot, especially seeing you in the sun."

"I'm sure you did," I chuckled. "I'd be surprised if you didn't."

Alice sighed contently. "You're beautiful to me no matter what, Bella, whether you're in the sunlight, glowing like an angel or not. In the end, as long as I have you near me, I could care less what you're wearing or what you're doing, plain and simple."

"Is that a "Bella, will you take your clothes off for me" remark?" I inquired.

Alice giggled devilishly. "It is if you want it to be."

Cynthia groaned next to us. "Is this going to be a recurring theme whenever I'm around."

"Does it bother you that much?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"The gay thing doesn't, my sister's obvious attempts to irk me do," she replied with a shrug.

"I can't help it," Alice giggled. "It's fun to piss you off."

Cynthia turned to glare at her sister. "It's fun to piss me off, is it? Maybe I should get the feather out and then we'll see who's having fun, hm?"

Alice froze. "God, no. Please don't."

"You can't stop me if I do," Cynthia warned, grinning ear to ear. "Just so you know."

I lifted an eyebrow at my human mate. "The feather? Do you have a feature phobia?"

"No," Alice mumbled.

"She's super ticklish," Cynthia informed me. "I can tell you where, if you'd like."

"Don't you dare, Cynthia!" Alice hissed, glaring at her sister. "I swear to God, if you do, I'll—"

"Ooh, ticklish spots?" I grinned. "I'd love to know, Cynthia."

Cynthia beamed excitedly. "Well, for starters, there's—"

"No!" Alice shouted, jumping off my lap like a cat and pouncing on her sister.

The two started rolling around and wrestling with one another, which I found much more entertaining to watch then my siblings' bouts—not that watching my siblings fight wasn't fun, getting to see Alice fight for once was rather adorable despite how fearsome she was.

I laughed as they rolled on the ground for several minutes, Alice getting her sister into a few wrestling holds here and there, but in the end, Cynthia came out on top, using her size to her advantage and pinning her younger sister to the ground. Alice squirmed under her to no avail as Cynthia looked up at me, beaming.

"Go for her soles," she said. "They're her worst spot!"

"Don't you dare, Bella Cullen!" Alice shouted.

I speedily removed Alice's shoes—she'd conveniently worn sandals, too—and lightly traced my fingers over her soles, causing Alice's body to thrash about.

"D-damn it, Bella!" she cursed. "Please, I'm b-begging you!"

I thought on it for a moment. "Hmm…and what do I get if I spare you?"

"Uh…I…um…" Alice seemed uncertain of how to respond, so I upped the ante and rapidly tickled her feet, making her laugh hysterically for a few solid minutes as she thrashed under her sister's grip. "S-s-stop! For the l-love of God, s-stop!"

She was laughing like crazy and I had a funny feeling she was actually enjoying it, but her body suddenly ceased moving and she stopped laughing entirely, which made me stop. Concerned, Cynthia released her and we both checked to see if she was alright, at which point we saw that her eyes had glazed over; she was having a vision.

"Her visions totally saved her ass," Cynthia remarked with a snort.

I patted her shoulder. "We'll get her next time." Alice suddenly came out of her vision and sat up swiftly, turning to face me with worry shining in her beautiful eyes. "Alice?" I could tell there was something wrong and placed my hands on her shoulders. "What did you see?"

"I…" She blinked and bit her lip. "I saw vampires I didn't recognize. They're heading this way."

The others immediately stopped fighting as quiet fell over the area. "How many?" I asked.

"Six," she replied.

Emmett pounded his fists together. "Six, huh? Sweet! Fight time, baby!"

"We don't know that for certain, Em," Jasper said. "But if they are here to fight…"

"We'll kick their asses," Victoria finished, grinning. "I'm excited. I'll finally have a chance to go full out on someone for a chance, none of this holding back crap." She paused for a moment and shrugged. "Not that I don't appreciate what I've been learning."

"I hope they're looking for a fight," Jane said. "Things are too boring around here."

"What about Cynthia and Alice?" Riley inquired.

I frowned and turned to the two human girls. "I'll take them back to the house and stay with them. I would love to get a chance to fight, but I won't risk either of them for my own selfishness, not a chance in hell."

"Aw, c'mon, Bella," Emmett complained. "We can keep them safe. It's not like we don't outnumber them or anything, right?"

"Em, this isn't about fighting and killing," Rosalie stated. "Alice and Cynthia are humans, which makes them the primary targets since this coven is likely a human drinker one. It's too risky to have them stay here in the line of battle if this turns into a fight."

"They may not be here for any sort of violence," Riley offered. "We don't know yet."

"Perhaps," Carlisle replied. "But it's not a chance I'm willing to take. Esme?"

"I agree," Esme said. "Bella, dear, go ahead and take the girls back to the house."

I stood up and prepared to pick Alice up, but she shook her head. "Too late. They're here."

**A/N: At long last, you've gotten a better idea of Bella's gift. I'm sure it's not quite what most of you expected, but I still think it's cool. :P**

**So in the votes, most of you said Jane first, with Victoria coming and second and Riley in third. As I wrote those notes as I was writing, I honestly ended up doing Victoria first, so those of you who were curious about Jane will have to wait a bit. Jane is second, Riley will be third in their backstory revelation. To the anonymous reviewer who asked about whether these would move the plot forward, I appreciate your constructive concern, but I'm not sure I have an exact answer. I feel that in some cases, yes they do move the plot forward, but in cases where there isn't a "plot" element to a chapter, they serve as interesting filler, or so I'd like to believe. **

**Now then, another question for my dear readers, one which I would love an answer to. What do you think of my vampires glowing rather than sparkling? Honest opinions would be appreciated. Is it better than sparkling? No different? Too Twilighty? Give me your feedback, if you please. Thank you.**


	34. The Thornes

**Disclaimer: I don't owneth the Twilight series, Meyer does. I own my characters and ideas. **

**A/N: It's not the Volturi. :P**

**The Thornes**

The area was quiet as Cynthia and Alice—after hastily getting her sandals on—stood up. I pulled them behind me and stood protectively in front of them while my family members positioned themselves around me, Rosalie and Victoria standing in front of me while the others spread out with Carlisle and Esme several feet in front of all of us.

Not a moment passed before the scent of vampires hit my nostrils and several bodies appeared from the trees surrounding us, all of them pausing when they saw us standing there, prepared. I scanned all six individuals, noting the red eyes and the varying expressions on their faces.

There were three males and three females in total and none of them looked familiar to me. However, I didn't fail to notice Victoria's body freeze up, and if it were possible, she looked paler than normal. It was almost like the energy had been sucked out of her the second she laid eyes on this new, unfamiliar vampire coven. Did she know them?

"My, what a surprise," remarked the physically oldest appearing male, who I assumed right away to be the "leader" of the coven. "Victoria. It's been so long since I last saw you and look; you found a coven to take you in after all. I'm fairly happy to hear it, in fact."

The man was around Carlisle's height with slicked back dark hair and a light amount of facial hair that, combined with the piercing red eyes, gave him a fairly twisted look. He wore a black coat and black pants to bring about a formal appearance and a necklace hanging from a long chain with a unique crest at the end of it.

"Go fuck yourself, Asher," Victoria snarled venomously, to the point where Jasper had to send out a wave of calm to keep her from leaping across the great distance and killing the man.

"Forgive my bluntness, but who are you and what are you doing here?" Esme asked.

"Ah, yes, my apologies," the man said. "My name is Asher Thorne. This is my mate and wife Nikala and our fellow coven-mates Erykah, Adira, Dante and Cathal." He gestured to each as he named them, then smiled innocently. "And honestly, we only came because we caught wind of Victoria's scent. Might I say, by the way, I'm glad you're alive, Victoria."

Victoria growled angrily and Rosalie placed a hand on her shoulder. "Calm it down, Tori."

I reached out to place my hand and rub circles into her back, which, combined with Rosalie's reassurance and Jasper's calming waves, managed to soothe Victoria enough. It proved my theory that she knew this coven somehow and it was obvious they were _not_ friends.

"How do you know our daughter?" Esme asked in a low voice.

"Daughter?" the woman named Nikala asked, chuckling rather loudly. "What a funny term to use for a vampire in your coven. You see them as your children, truly?"

"Yes," Esme replied, growing irritated. "What of it?"

Nikala nearly equaled her mate in height and had long, light brown hair. She had a youthful appearance, but her eyes betrayed that with cunning and sarcastic mirth. In fact, there was a twisted look to her eyes just like her mate's, one that made me feel uneasy.

"It's amusing," Nikala replied. "That's all."

"Is that human I smell?" the girl known as Adira asked, fluffing her blonde hair. "I'm hungry."

Asher glanced around and saw Alice and Cynthia behind me. "Why yes, it appears there are two humans apparently in the wrong place at the right time. Ah, but they're being guarded, Adira, so it's clear that they've already been claimed by these fine people, is that about right?"

"These humans don't belong to us," Carlisle stated firmly. "They are a part of our family, however, so I ask that you not threaten them in any way. Also, this territory belongs to our family and I would rather not have any humans dying here. We've blended into their society and having you hunt here would only cause problems."

All the vampires started laughing together, much to my annoyance. "What the hell is so funny?"

"You are very strange vampires," remarked Dante, who had black hair and a flashy getup on.

"What's with your eyes?" Adira asked, narrowing hers. "Why are they gold?"

"You certainly lack manners, don't you?" Esme hissed, more agitated than before. "You haven't even bothered asking our names after trespassing on our land and barking insults at one of our own as if you own them. You're either utter fools who lack common sense or too dense to really think, but either way, I think you should leave Washington this moment."

The anger in her voice caused the vampires to stop laughing and Asher cleared his throat. "You bring up a valid point," he said, smiling. "My apologies. Might I inquire your names?"

"Carlisle and Esme Cullen," Carlisle replied. "These are our children, whose names you don't need to know because, in truth, it's not really your business."

"Cullen?" Nikala questioned. "Now why does that name sound familiar to me?"

"I know that name," Asher replied. "Yes, you're the coven of vampires who have actually given up the killing of humans to live peaceful, bland lives amongst them. You feed from animals instead and you once held power within the Volturi. How very strange, don't you think, Nikala?"

"Indeed," Nikala agreed. "I find it even more ironic that the bloodthirsty scourge Victoria would ever give up her vicious ways and become a soft, placid being instead. How has that been, Victoria? I can't imagine it being very easy considering how things once were for you. You couldn't even spot a human without wanting them dead last I saw you."

"Things change," Victoria hissed. "I did. I got stronger in every way possible. You, however, are clearly the same vindictive, manipulative bitch you were when I left you, Nikala."

"Such a mouth," Nikala chuckled. "I'm glad at least that hasn't changed."

"Now, now," Asher said, holding his hands up defensively. "We have no interest in quarreling with you, Cullens, especially now that we know who you are. In fact, it's an honor to officially make your acquaintance. I've heard a great deal of things about you from the Kings and Queens in Volterra. We visit them every now and again, you see, and they share their stories with us."

Carlisle nodded slowly. "I'm glad to hear that the Kings and Queens still see us in a positive light. It's been a great many years since we last spoke to them, I worried they might think we had turned against them or something along those lines."

"Why are we speaking to these cretins?" Rosalie asked. "They haven't shown us proper respect and they insulted Victoria. Let's kill them and be done with it already."

"Kill us?" the Irish vampire, Cathal, snickered. "What a joke."

"Yeah, it's funny because we can totally own your asses," Emmett boomed.

"Why would you want to fight us for?" Nikala asked. "After all, there is another reason we came here for, one that could potentially help you out."

"And what might that be?" Esme asked, not even bothering to hide her disbelief.

"There's another vampire in the area," Nikala replied with an odd tone in her voice. "We ran into him not even a day ago, in fact, and he seemed to be plotting something. My guess is that it involves you, although he wouldn't specify. There was a glint in his eyes, however, a dangerous one. You should be careful of him, I think."

Asher nodded. "Yes, he seemed very disturbed."

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" Victoria demanded.

I bit my lip. While I knew nothing about this coven—other than my current impression, which was far from positive—the one thing I knew never to distrust was any mention of Edward. I knew automatically he was the one they were referring to, which meant that he was still somewhere in the area, waiting for the right opportunity to strike.

"Why would we lie?" Asher asked. "What do we have to gain from lying?"

"Amusement at the cost of others," my red-haired sister spat back. "That's what."

Nikala sighed, losing her previous demeanor. "Come now, Victoria, are you truly that bitter over everything that happened? It was so many years ago, after all, and look at you now. You've found a new coven to live with, one that you seem quite protective of, especially the brunette you're standing in front of. She must be dear to you, hm?"

Victoria glanced at me for a brief moment, then tightened her hands into fists. "That's none of your business, bitch. And as far as my feelings towards every last one of you, I couldn't care less about your lives or words. I'd be happy just to kill you here and now, in fact, but I won't because I'm better than that, which makes me better than _you_."

Nikala narrowed her eyes and started to take a step forward, but Asher stopped her. "Leave her be, dearest," he said. "She can think of us whatever she wants, it's her opinion and her right."

"Whatever," Nikala replied with a scoff.

"Are we done here yet?" complained Erykah, the only one to have not spoken yet.

"Not quite, Erykah," Asher replied, licking his lips. He was planning something, I could tell from his eyes, and I didn't like it. "You see, I've come to a conclusion. Why don't we work together, Cullens? Your family is large, powerful and favored by the Volturi, ours is powerful and rising in favor, why not allow us to help you quell this slight irritation?"

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Victoria groaned. "Hell no."

"Give it some consideration, at least," Asher said, bemused by Victoria's reaction.

"I think it best you leave for now," Carlisle said. "Given the tension in the air and the fact that we have humans amongst us, perhaps you should go elsewhere for a time. We'll consider your offer if only because we aren't terribly rude. Remember, though, please don't hunt for humans in Forks. If you do, we'll know and I'm afraid I won't be willing to hold my family back."

Again, the coven laughed. "You are a strange coven," Nikala remarked. "Goodbye, Victoria."

Most of them dashed off to the right, the opposite direction of town. The only two who remained were Asher and Adira, the blonde-haired girl who made an earlier remark about wanting to feed on Alice and Cynthia. Her eyes scanned my family before stopping at mine, at which point she smirked in an unsettling way before leaving as well.

Asher was the only one remaining. "I apologize for our lack of manners," he said, sounding surprisingly sincere. "My coven isn't the best at handling other vampires. I'm glad we were able to avoid a pointless fight and I meant my offer when I said it. Farewell for now, Cullens."

He left at a slower pace, but was gone soon enough. Everyone visibly relaxed except for Victoria, who was seething. Jasper wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, comforting her as the others stood around silently, giving the two a moment to themselves.

"I need to hunt," Victoria said, kissing Jasper, then pulling away. "Alone, please."

She dashed off into the forest while most of us watched on. Jasper sighed. "I don't think I've ever felt that amount of rage in her. The closest she's ever gotten to that level was when Edward attacked you, Bella. Those people must have done something to her in the past." He let out a quiet growl, fury flashing across his face. "I don't think we can trust them."

"You're not seriously considering their offer, are you, Carlisle?" Rosalie asked.

Carlisle smiled. "Of course not, Rosalie. We're not desperate nor dense enough for that."

"Damn straight," Esme agreed, growling. "Insult my daughter…who the fuck do they think they are talking to us that way? The only reason they changed their tune is because of our past relations to the Volturi!" There were a few growls at the name, including one from myself. Esme acknowledged them with a nod. "And quite frankly, we _hate_ the Volturi."

"Why didn't you let us kill them?" Jane asked, scowling. "I wanted to make that annoying bitch writhe on the ground in pain, for crying out loud. It would've made me happy."

"Perhaps it was best to let them go," Riley offered. "Even if we don't ally with them, we could use their willingness to cooperate with us to our advantage, so long as they're willing to follow the rules we've established. At least, that's my opinion."

"Why would we want to ally with them?" I asked. "I'm sorry, but that's crazy, Riley."

"Maybe so," he replied. "But when it comes to strategy, having more allies, temporary or not, could turn the tide of battle. Edward may be by himself right now, but Alice's vision has shown that he's meeting with someone. It's clear he has an ally of some kind and given his already keen, yet twisted, intellect, it might come in handy to have others to help."

"Dude, that's dumb," Emmett boomed. "We can kill that bastard without a problem, why bother bringing in a bunch of weirdoes who made fun of us into the mix? I say we just rip 'em all to pieces, burn them, then dance around the fires!"

Rosalie let out a sigh. "I know I'm going to regret saying this, but I actually think Riley may have a point, although I'm thankful Victoria isn't here to hear this. If these dumbasses are in league with the Volturi, which they clearly are, then turning them down might have negative repercussions for us in the future, especially given their knowledge of Alice and Cynthia."

I frowned. "I don't see what they have to do with this, Rose."

Rosalie met my eyes. "You know how the Volturi work, Bella. If they find out we have humans who know our secret, they'll want them killed and we'll have more shit to deal with. Not only that, but what's to stop that bastard from going to the Volturi and using his gift as leverage to build favor with them? Either way, we have to consider every angle before we act."

I grimaced at the thought of Edward going to the Volturi and turned to look at Alice. Her crystal eyes were pulsing with emotion as they gazed back at mine and I opened my arms. She immediately moved into them and kissed me before nuzzling into my neck.

"I don't know who these Volturi people are, but I don't like those vampires," Alice said, shuddering involuntarily in my arms. "They creep me out."

"I don't like them either," Cynthia agreed. "I'm getting bad vibes from them. I couldn't tell if anything they were saying was sincere or not, which isn't usually a good thing."

"Jazz?" I asked, glancing at my blonde-haired brother.

Jasper had his hands in his pockets and a disdainful expression on his face. "Cynthia's words are quite true. Even I had a difficult time telling what was fact and what wasn't. And while I strongly disagree with the notion of working with those people, I have to admit that Rosalie and Riley's words are sound at the same time. With vampires, strategy goes a long way."

Emmett groaned. "C'mon, really? Bella, you're not believing this, are you?"

I grimaced and considered what my siblings were saying. On one hand, I didn't trust the Thorne coven despite barely knowing them and that was based off my own opinion. Combined with Victoria's anger and the reactions of Alice and Cynthia, all signs were pointing at them not being trustworthy even if our views could be wrong.

At the same time, the idea of the Volturi finding out about Alice and Cynthia terrified me. If they knew what Alice could do, they would want her as part of their empire and I would be damned if I'd ever let such a thing happen. So in a way, what we chose to do with these Thorne vampires would ultimately have a major consequence of some kind.

However, I also didn't want to lose my sister. Victoria meant the world to me and I had a bad feeling in my gut that choosing to work with the Thornes would cause her to leave. If that did happen, she would return at some point—we were her family, after all—but I couldn't risk it knowing something might happen to her.

_Damn it!_ I cursed. _I don't know what to do!_

"Bella," Jasper said. "Relax."

He sent me a powerful wave of calm as Alice pressed her lips to mine. "It's okay, Bella," she cooed softly, stroking my cheeks. "It's okay."

"I don't think this is the place for such a conversation," Esme remarked. "Let's go back to the house where it's more private. Bella, dear, why don't you go find your sister and make sure she's okay? I'm sure she'll need someone to talk with and you're the ideal one to do it."

"Why not Jasper?" I replied. "He's her mate."

"True," Jasper said. "But Victoria's just as close to you as she is to me. Besides, I think what she needs right now is her best friend, not her husband. You relate to her on a different level than I."

I considered his words and glanced at Alice, who offered me a smile. "Go to your sister. I'll be fine. We can cuddle on the couch later, if you want." She pressed her lips to mine, then pulled away from my arms. "Plus, I'm a little curious about these Volturi people."

"I wouldn't be if I were you," Rosalie said, crossing her arms and scowling. "They're not the kind of people you want to know about, trust me, Alice."

"Why not?" Cynthia inquired.

"They're bad news," my sister replied. "And with Alice's ability to see the future and a potential gift coming from you, there's no telling what could happen if they found out about you."

"Let's head back," Esme said, speeding over to pick up the picnic basket. "Rosalie, Jasper, why don't you offer to carry Alice and Cynthia back. I'm sure it'll be much quicker and easier that way, unless they'd rather walk, in which case, we'll walk with them."

"I don't mind," Alice said.

"Me either," added Cynthia.

Rosalie lifted Alice up while Cynthia jumped onto Jasper's back. All at once, my family members except for Carlisle left for the house. My father remained behind and came over to me, concern flashing in his eyes as he placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

I nodded and placed my hand on top of his. "I'm fine, Carlisle. Just…confused."

"I understand," he sighed. "Personally, I don't like the idea of working with a coven I hardly know, especially one that openly insulted one of my children. We'll likely hold a family meeting concerning the matter, but I don't see us taking them up on their request. If anything, their presence here is a threat to us as much as Edward's presence."

"I agree," I said. "But I don't want anything to happen to Alice or Cynthia."

"Nothing will happen to them, dear," Carlisle said, giving my shoulder a squeeze. "If anything, we'll need to be more on guard these coming weeks. And if all else fails, we do have another ally we can go to, although I'm certain no one will like the idea."

I furrowed my brow. "Please don't tell me you mean the dogs…"

He offered me a tiny smile. "I realize your opinion of them isn't the highest, but realize that the shapeshifters of La Push would be the best allies. True, we may not be able to trust all of them individually, but as a whole, they would fight to protect their land and the humans, just as we would fight to protect each other. Their Alpha is also quite reasonable as well."

"I haven't met her yet," I remarked. "I don't know, Carlisle. Either way, I feel like we'd be making a deal with the devil in some figurative sense. I wish Tanya and the others lived closer by, because at least then, we'd have people we could trust at our backs."

"Should the worst occur, I'm certain they would come down from Alaska to aid us," Carlisle pointed out, which I knew was true. "At any rate, I'll let you go and find your sister. Let her know that we're all concerned for her and that if she chooses to talk about what's bothering her, we'll all listen without judgment. I'll see you in a bit."

"Thanks, papa," I murmured. He kissed my forehead, then departed, leaving me to myself.

I ran a hand through my hair and sprinted in the direction my sister had gone, wondering what had happened to her involving the Thorne vampires. It must've been bad and my initial assumption was that she used to be a part of their coven, which made the most sense.

Victoria had always been the wild child of the family, ever since she first joined it. I remembered that day perfectly since I was the one who first discovered her. Thinking about it made me smile since it'd been so long ago, yet with my memory; it felt like it was only yesterday.

It was a cloudy day during the winter and at the time we were living in Astoria, Oregon at the time back in the mid-1940s. Jasper had yet to join the family and we hadn't met Riley yet, so our family was a lot smaller at the time. I was out hunting with Jane, who was the most recent addition of our family and still adjusting to our way of life.

_Jane and I were in the woodlands stalking deer that day, a small competition between the two of us to see how quickly we could snag a deer. The kicker; it couldn't hear us coming, so our technique had to be precise, fast, and above all else, silent. Something Jane wasn't good at._

"_Die, stupid beast!" Jane shouted, lunging herself at a buck. The buck's head shot up just as she collided with it, sinking her teeth into its neck with ease. This alerted the other three deer nearby and made them dash away in fright as Jane drained the buck of its life._

_I merely watched in amusement at my newest sister and shook my head. "You haven't mastered the art of silent killing, have you, my sister?"_

_After she finished, she rose up and wiped the blood from her lips. "It's not my fault. I couldn't stop myself from shouting at it, alright?" Her eyes were just now beginning to turn into the golden hue that the rest of us had, which was good. "I don't see you hunting."_

"_I'm too amused with watching you," I replied with a sly grin._

_Jane snorted in annoyance. Even then, she'd been a spitfire. "Go hunt, fool."_

"_A fool, am I?" I asked, chuckling. "Jane, you are something else, I swear."_

"_Just go hunt," she grumbled. "I'll wait here for you."_

_With a nod, I headed after one of the deer Jane had startled and tracked it down fairly quickly. Without even waiting, I pounced on top of it and used my weight to break all its legs right as I bit down into the back of its neck. I drained its blood fairly quickly, ending the poor beast's misery as its bitter yet tasty life force trailed down my throat._

_Once the blood stopped flowing, I stood up and walked off the deer's body, knowing some scavenger animal would likely finish off the remains. I was about to return to Jane when I caught wind of a scent that caused my entire body to freeze up. It was the scent of human blood._

_My inner beast growled and my chest rumbled despite the fact that I'd just finished killing a deer and feeding the burn in my throat. Human blood had that effect on me. It was so sweet and delicious, the very smell tantalized me. Yet there was something distinctively different about this particular scent…it was mixed in with another, more potent smell; that of a vampire._

_Under normal circumstances, I would have left to return home, but the scent intrigued me, so I decided to follow it. It didn't take me long to locate the source of the scent. I caught sight of a girl with long, fiery-red curls framing her face, drenched in blood as several unmoving human bodies laid at her feet. Her eyes were a brilliant shade of red, full of venom and rage._

_She snarled and immediately whipped around to face me. "Who the hell are you?"_

_My body reacted and I crouched down, ready to fight if it came to it. "I was going to ask you the very same question," I replied in a low voice. "This territory has been claimed by my family."_

"_I couldn't care less," she hissed. "Leave me be, I have no quarrel with you unless you stay and annoy me. I have other problems to deal with, little girl. Go away." She turned around and proceeded to rip the bodies into pieces, a rather gruesome sight to witness, even for me._

_There was something odd about the tall woman standing before me, something that seemed to click in the back of my mind. I felt…a connection to her, even though I'd never seen her before in my life. It was the same connection I felt when I found Rosalie dying in the streets, saw Emmett struggling against a wild bear and watched flames nearly engulfed Jane whole._

"_Are you on your own?" I asked once the fiery-haired woman finished._

_She turned to glare at me. "Did I not make it clear that I don't want you near me?"_

_I stepped forward and crossed my arms. "This is my coven's territory. I can do what I please."_

"_Fine," she growled. "Then I'll leave your precious land."_

"_There's a lake nearby, you know," I remarked, trying not to focus on the blood smeared all over her body. "You can at least dunk in it to wash all the blood off."_

_She glanced at her body and narrowed her eyes. "What if I like being covered in blood?"_

"_You'll attract more vampires that way," I said, taking a step back and halting my breathing altogether when a gust of wind blew her scent my way._

"_You seem to be one of them," she remarked dryly, tilting her head to one side. _

"_That's not the point," I replied speedily. _

_She seemed to doubt my words. "Why should I believe you? How do I know you won't spring a trap on me and kill me the second I enter the forest?"_

"_Because if that were the case, you would already be dead," I replied._

"_I doubt that," she remarked, smirking. "I'm good at surviving poor odds."_

"_What proof can I give you, then?" I asked._

"_Why are you so interested in being friendly to me?" she inquired. "I'm an intruder on your territory, yet here you are making delightful conversation. No vampire I've met before has done such a thing and I don't like it. Explain yourself."_

_I sighed. "My parents taught me not to judge a person without getting to know them. That includes other vampires. In your case, if you had simply attacked me, we wouldn't be having a care-free conversation. So I can assume that you're either vicious on the outside, but less so on the inside, or biding your time. However, you gain nothing from killing me."_

_She frowned and studied me. "And what's to say that I don't simply enjoy killing?"_

"_The fact that I am not dead yet," I replied. "You're still standing here, speaking to me, which means that something about me has intrigued you enough to stay your killing hands. Am I about right in that belief or am I missing something?"_

"_You're annoying," she grunted. "I hope you're aware of that fact."_

"_I am," I said, shrugging. "My sisters and brother make a note of telling me rather constantly, so I'm quite used to it. Will you be coming with me to the lake, then? Being covered in blood is all well and good, but when it dries, it's quite difficult to get out of clothing."_

_I turned around and started slowly walking towards the lake, waiting to see if she would follow along with me. Initially, she didn't move an inch, but after a bit of mental debate, she finally joined me, at which point we both picked up in speed to a casual vampire "run"._

"_Why do you call your coven that?" she asked._

"_Call them what?" I inquired._

"_You referred to them as "parents" and "brother" and "sister"," she said. "I've never heard of a coven calling one another anything other than name unless they're mates. And why are your eyes gold-colored?" She actually sniffed me briefly. "You reek, too. What's the horrid stench?"_

_I chuckled as we came to the lake I'd mentioned. "Such lovely compliments. To answer your questions, I refer to them as such because they are what I call them. The scent you're smelling is that of animal blood, the substance that has turned my eyes gold. My family and I have decided to go without killing humans for a living. We kill animals instead."_

"_Animals?" she asked, furrowing her brow. "What difference is there between the two? Men and beasts are of the same nature and all of them are beneath us in every possible way. Why would you forgo the killing of humans? It doesn't make sense."_

"_Our reasons differ," I replied. "Both of my parents have renounced the killing of humans because they're good people. They've come to see that feeding from animals has actually helped them evolve past their inner bestial side. We've grown to feel the same way, although it's not without its struggles. I've slipped numerous times, as have my siblings."_

"_Why not simply stop altogether?" she asked. "Humans are easy prey. Their blood is delicious."_

"_I know," I admitted. "But…it's difficult for me to explain. Killing humans has done nothing but fill me with regret. And, to be truthful, I feel more monstrous doing it. There's…a vampire out there that I want to kill. He delights in killing humans slowly, tormenting them as they die. I don't want to be like him. That's why I'm trying my hardest to be better than he is."_

_She stared at me oddly for a few minutes. "You're very odd."_

_I shrugged. "True. Ah, that reminds me. My name is Isabella Cullen. But please, call me Bella."_

_She shook her head and leapt into the lake, splashing water all around me, though I easily avoided being hit by a single drop. A moment later she rose up from the lake and rapidly spun around to dry herself off, the blood now gone from her skin and—mostly—clothes. _

"_My name…" She paused and considered if she wanted to tell me. "My name is Victoria."_

_I extended my hand to her. "It's nice to meet you, Victoria."_

_She stared at my hand for several minutes until began to retract it, at which point she hastily reached out to firmly grasp and shake it._

"_I…yes, it's a pleasure to meet you as well, Bella," she replied._

Our meeting that day had ended with her leaving, but she soon returned and we struck a friendship together, awkward as she was around me. One thing led to another and Victoria ultimately came to be a part of the Cullen family, finding love with Jasper when he joined, a kinship to the rest of us, especially me.

After following my sister's spicy scent, I finally found her sitting by herself under a tree, staring out at the woods in silence. She noticed me right away, but said nothing, even after I plopped down next to her and placed my hand on her shoulder.

"Do you want to talk?" I asked.

"Not really," she replied.

"Alright," I said, leaning in to kiss her cheek. "May I stay with you, then?"

"Sure," she replied after a moment. "Thank you."

I smiled. "No need to thank me, Tori. It's my duty as your sister and friend."

**A/N: Yes, not the Volturi. An entirely OC coven that will come into play in the future, however. But I won't spoil anything, because there's no fun in that.**

**Anyways, as I said, Victoria's backstory ended up coming up first in the story, so those of you who are eager for Jane and Riley, hold on for a while. I'll get to them eventually when the time is right and both will have something to do with the plot at hand. **

**Those of you who said they liked the glowing better than sparkling, I thank you. Your opinions have meant a lot to me. Now, I in fact have two questions to ask you, one of which is on topic, the other of which is not. The first question do you think Bella's "Belly-Button" nickname is cute? I've only had one person say no so far, which is why I decided I wanted to ask. And I would understand if you weren't fond of it, don't get me wrong. I thought it was, that's why I used it. :)**

**The second question is: most of you enjoy my writing style and I'm wondering...what fairytale based story (Snow White, Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, etc., the stories that are in the public domain and thus can be written off of) do you think I could make a good story with? I'm curious to hear your opinions. Thank you! :D (NOTE! I mean as an actual original book, not a fan fiction)**

**I'd like to send a message, as well. To the dumbasses that are being rude to MyTwiDreams, an amazing author, fucking stop. Seriously, she's doubting herself and it's pissing me the fuck off because she's an amazing writer and doesn't deserve that shit. Spread the word and go give MyTwiDreams some love so she doesn't remove her stories.**


	35. Victoria

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything Twilight related, I only own my ideas and characters. That includes my spin on Tori's backstory. **

**Victoria**

"I acted like a real jackass out there, didn't I?" Victoria asked. It was the first words she'd spoken for several hours, which we'd spent simply sitting together in silence.

"Why would you think that?" I asked. "You were pissed off. You had a right to be."

Victoria chuckled. "You say that like you know what I went through. With the Thornes, I mean."

"I know what you mean, fool," I snickered, poking her in the side. "But no, you didn't act that badly, not in my opinion, anyways. The others are worried about you, though. I'm sure the fact that we haven't returned home yet has them even more concerned."

"I know," Victoria sighed. "I just…I needed to clear my head. All the anger flowing through me at seeing those assholes again pissed me off to a level I've never felt before. The others are probably concerned I've gone off the deep end or something like that."

I shook my head. "No, they're just worried about how you're feeling, Tori. You've always been wild, but you're not generally one to lose your temper in the way you displayed. That's all."

Victoria nodded understandingly. "What's troubling you?"

"Me?" I asked.

"I can tell from looking into your eyes that there's something bothering you and I know without even asking that it's relating to me," she said. "Something the others discussed, I'm guessing?"

"Some of the family was…considering using the Thornes in some way," I admitted. "They all gave good reasons for it, such as the Thornes maybe going to the Volturi and telling them about Alice and Cynthia, which would suck because then they'd come after us. Not everyone is sold on the idea, though, and I was worried what you would do if we ultimately chose…"

"To work with the Thornes," Victoria finished. I could tell right away that she wasn't happy to hear what I'd said. "I had a funny feeling that would be one of the things brought up while I was gone. Damn those bastards for always knowing a way to exploit the worries of others."

"If it's any consolation, we'll probably turn down their request," I remarked.

"Because of my personal vendetta against them?" she asked.

"That's one of the reasons," I replied. "It's also lack of trust. None of us know them and the only thing we have to go off of is your experience, which clearly wasn't positive."

"Far from it," Victoria said in a low voice.

I appraised my sibling quietly for a moment, noting all the emotions in her eyes. "Tori, what exactly happened between you and them? Did they hurt you somehow? Was it something else?"

Victoria combed a single hand through her mane of curls. "They used me like a toy and threw me away when I was no longer useful to them, despite the number of times I'd saved their asses and remained loyal. They made promises to me that was never kept and when the time came that I needed their help, they abandoned me to my fate. That's why I hate them."

"I'm sorry," I murmured, squeezing her shoulder.

She patted my hand. "Thanks. I guess I'm just bitter over it. But then, you're probably wondering how it all went down since I've never fully explained, aren't you?"

"Only if you're willing to tell me," I said. "I know how hard it can be to open up."

Victoria nodded. "It's strange how closed off we are as vampires. I mean, if it weren't for Carlisle and Esme being the greatest fucking parents ever and you being the heart of the family, none of us would have ever grown attached the way we did. If anything, half of us would be dead were it not for you. This family owes you alone more than anything in the world."

"You don't owe me anything," I disagreed.

"Oh, but I do," Victoria said. "If you hadn't found me that day, chances are we wouldn't be having this discussion, which means Jasper wouldn't have found his true happiness. I…I've never admitted this to anyone, but the day we met, I was honestly considering suicide as a means to escape the life I lived. I had that much loathing for myself and everyone else around me."

My eyes bulged. "Victoria…"

She hung her head in shame. "It's the truth, Bells. I would've done gone through with my plans were it not for you. You were the first bright spark in my otherwise dark life and thanks to you, I found a purpose to live for." Her eyes met mine, pulsing with meaning. "And that meaning is to protect the people I live. My husband, my siblings, my parents and my best friend. You."

I didn't know what to say. Hearing those words from my sister really tugged at my dead heartstrings, making warmth well up inside my chest. I reached over and hugged my tallest sister, which she gladly reciprocated. We remained that way for several minutes before I pulled away slightly, resting my head on Victoria's shoulder as she kissed my forehead.

"I feel all warm and mushy inside," Victoria remarked. "Is this what you and Rose feel?"

I giggled. "More or less."

"Weird," she said. "And incredibly incestuous, too. At least, it would be if we were related by blood, but even then, I doubt it would stop us. Is that gross or am I just over-thinking things?"

"You're over-thinking, Tori," I chuckled.

Victoria laughed with me, then sighed. "I needed to get that off my chest. It was time you heard how important you were to me. But at the same time, I know you would like some detail on my past with those fucker Thornes. I'll tell you, Bells. Then I'll explain everything to the others so they know. I want you to know, though, that no matter what's decided, I'm with you."

I smiled warmly at my sibling. "Thanks, Tori. I'm glad to hear that."

"Have I ever told you about my life as a human?" she inquired.

I thought about the times we'd talked and couldn't find any recollection of it. "No, I don't think you've ever talked about your past life," I said. "Other than a few random pieces here and there, you've always been the most mysterious member of the family, Tori."

She chuckled. "Mysterious, huh?"

"Yeah, which is weird considering how loud and abrasive you are," I giggled.

"Excuse me?" she scoffed with mock offense. "Loud and abrasive? Are you sure you aren't thinking of our other two sisters, one of whom is the Queen of loudmouths everywhere and the other is a super bitch? Ring any bells in that thick head of yours?"

I snorted. "That may be true, but you've always had their qualities mixed together, Tori. But that's what I love most about you; how wild and unpredictable you are. And I know without a doubt that Jasper would agree with me on that without a shred of doubt."

She frowned, but nodded. "I suppose you're right."

I smiled proudly until I recalled part of her earlier sentence, at which point I poked her. "And just what do you mean by "thick head", firecrotch?"

Victoria burst into laughter. "Firecrotch? Really? _That's_ the best you can come up with?"

"Get back to the story, Tori," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Oh, yeah, my bad." She cleared her throat for no reason, then began. "So to give you a basic idea, my parents were extremely poor people that had to live as servants to whatever rich asshole bought their services. They saved up what little they earned over the years until they had two kids; my older sister Anna and myself, at which point my parents fled to raise us."

_I never knew she had a sister_, I mused. "Where did you grow up?"

"England," she replied. "We were born in a fairly small town, although I've honestly forgotten the name since it's been so long. Anyways, my parents did the best they could to raise us until I was about six years old, at which point they were gunned down by a man trying to rob them after they resisted for our sakes. Ever since then, my sister started raising me."

"Anna was three years older than I was and became more than just my big sister. She protected me at all costs and helped me every day. Together we learned how to steal food to survive and we both learned to hide from the authorities and angry people who chased after us whenever we stole from them. I was particularly skilled at it, in fact."

"That would explain your gift," I remarked.

"Yes, actually," she said. "I've given it a lot of thought and it makes sense. When I was a human, I always knew what to do in order to survive. I knew when to flee, where to hide and whenever I got into fights, I knew how to move and hit back in order to protect myself. I think that's where my scrappiness came from; I got into a lot of confrontations on purpose as I got older."

"Why?" I asked.

She shrugged. "Mostly the adrenaline rush I got, but also the satisfaction and a bit of smugness combined since no one ever touched me. My skills grew better as I aged, but while I was content living on the streets because I did so well at surviving, Anna didn't like it. She wanted us to have a warm home with comfy clothes, not live in cold, stinky alley ways."

"Eventually she managed to convince me to agree with her idea and we got jobs as maids for a cruel rich man who hired only attractive girls. He beat us regularly for the tiniest of slip ups and ogled my sister like she was a thousand dollars, which pissed me the fuck off. We barely made any money for three years because the bastard kept making up excuses to not pay us."

"We grew fed up with that life and ran away. I told Anna that we needed to go back to our old lives, but she was adamant that we find a way to make money. We ended up having a huge argument about it that ended with Anna pushing me into a puddle and berating me for being selfish and uncaring. She turned and ran off, the last time I ever saw my sister as a human."

"I was furious with her after what she did and like the immature bitch I was, I didn't bother going after her. I went back to live on the streets, honing my speed, sharpness and my strength whenever I could. I stole endlessly to survive and slept in makeshift beds I made myself. It was my stealing that ultimately caused me to meet the Thorne coven."

She spat the name out like poison and glared at the ground. "How did you run into them?" I asked, doing what I could to help keep her relaxed.

"I stole something from Nikala," Victoria replied, smirking at the memory. "It was a cloudy, miserable day and I caught sight of several robed people who looked fairly rich. I was seventeen at the time, nearing my eighteenth birthday. There was something about the people that made me wary, but I was arrogant, so I decided to snatch whatever I could from them regardless."

"I snuck up on them slowly, sighting Nikala as my target since I saw her coin purse. The ones that were visible were always the easiest to grab. I waited for her to be preoccupied, then sped forward and snagged it, dashing off just as she turned around. I caught a glimpse of her eyes and swore they were red at the time, but I shrugged it off and simply used her money to buy food."

"That night, while I was wandering the streets trying to find a place to sleep, I was surrounded by the robed figures, Nikala stepping forward and pulling the top down to reveal her face. I remember thinking she was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen, but when I saw that she did have red eyes, I became scared. She, however, seemed intrigued by me."

"She spoke with an accent when we first met. 'You're quite skilled' was what she told me before informing me that she was going to give me a choice. 'Either become immortal and serve me or die here, never to be found'. Those were my options and I'm sure it's obvious which one I chose. She took me away with her and the others, introducing themselves as they went."

"Once we were out of town and away from civilization, which was on my birthday, Nikala bit me and turned me. It took four days for the transformation to finish, but when it did, I woke up as a bloodthirsty newborn and the newest addition to the Thorne coven. At that time, Nikala and Asher, whom I met later, saw me as a valuable asset and a worthy addition to their coven."

"What made that change?" I asked.

"Take a guess," Victoria replied.

I furrowed my brow. "Uh…I'm guessing you did something they didn't agree with?"

"Close," she said. "I was with the Thornes for eight years and during those eight years, I became a savage, bloodthirsty killer who delighted in tormenting humans and enjoyed killing vampires foolish enough to tangle with me. My arrogance was second to none and for most of those years, the Thornes never questioned it. In fact, Nikala and Asher had a way of nurturing my pride."

"How's that?" I inquired.

"They would give me subtle remarks here and there," she replied. "Think of them as unspoken compliments coupled with critiques that only fueled my desires. We kept under the radar enough to be unnoticed by the Volturi, but we were constantly killing random vampires, generally for no reason other than the sake of having fun, I think."

"That changed the year before I met you because it was the year I learned my sister Anna was alive and, in fact, a vampire. We were somewhere in Europe at the time when I went out to hunt on my own, preferring to go solo since the thrill of stalking and killing was much more entertaining to me when I could enjoy it all by myself."

"I found a girl who looked promising and killed her, draining her dry without a hint of remorse. When she was dead, I discarded the body in the usual manner that I did, then caught wind of a vampire's scent. Normally whenever this happened, my instinct to survive would alert me to danger and I would rush in instead because I love to fight. It didn't happen this time, though."

"This scent was different in other ways, too. It was familiar to me and drew me in, so I followed it and soon enough came face to face with Anna. Seeing her brought back all the old memories of my life growing up and our last encounter when she ran off. I recalled all my past feelings of anger and betrayal, but at the same time, I realized how much I'd missed her."

"She greeted me with a tight hug and I hugged her back for what felt like hours. When we pulled away, all I could do was apologize to her for how I'd acted. She told me not to worry about it and forgave me, as well as apologizing herself. I wanted to take her back with me to the Thornes and have her join their coven, but she seemed rushed."

"Rushed?" I asked.

"Urgent," Victoria said. "Like there was something bothering her and she needed to move quickly or else. I tried asking her how she'd become a vampire, but she told me that she couldn't stick around. It angered me to think that she would run off randomly like that, yet she repeatedly told me that she had to run for a different reason. She promised to find me again, then left."

"I was pissed off at her departure, yes, but I knew there was a real reason behind it. I decided to let it go for the time being and returned to the Thornes, who informed me that they were moving on to a new location, something we did rather often. Staying in one place for too long was never wise, after all, since we did cause a lot of death and destruction."

"A few weeks passed and we traveled around, but I never saw or heard from Anna. I began to grow concerned over what was happening to her and my survivalist instincts weren't helping much either. My growing concern for Anna began to effect how I acted and what I did, which caused me to grow careless whenever I hunted or fought with other vampires."

"The Thornes noticed this fairly early on and Nikala did comment on it, yet she never seemed to outwardly care enough to see what was wrong. The longer I spent with them, the more I started noticing little things such as the Thornes separating themselves from me more often and not speaking to me as much. Then the day came that I smelled my sister's scent again."

"I chased after it without thinking only to find several dead human bodies. There was no sign of Anna, but I could tell from the various other scents that there had been some kind of battle between vampires. My instinct was to rush after the scent and find my sister, but the Thornes wouldn't allow it. They thought it was a waste of time and told me not to think about it."

"I was pissed, of course. This was my sister we were talking about and I would have thought that, given everything I'd done for them, they would be willing to do something for me. My anger grew over the next few days as I continued to insist going after her since we weren't doing anything else of importance. They wouldn't hear it, though. They didn't give a shit."

"It all came down to a day when we ended up surrounded by a larger coven of vampires, one that my instincts told me the Thornes had gotten riled up on purpose. And I was right; during the battle, the Thornes flat out disappeared, leaving me the only one there fighting against around eight pissed off vampires. It was the most intense battle I've ever fought. I barely survived."

"How did you?" I asked.

"My gift," my sister replied. "Were it not for my body instinctively reacting even when my brain didn't think to, I would've been torn to pieces. I did get my right arm torn off and several other chunks of flesh, not to mention a few other nasty scars. But I won in the end and slaughtered the eight vampires, despite it taking a toll on my body."

"After I reattached my limbs, Nikala appeared and beat me down before pressing her foot against my throat. 'You've proven that you're no longer useful to us' were the words she said to me as I struggled to free myself. The bitch then ripped off my legs and threw them into the woods surrounding us before lighting a match a tossing it into a try, setting the whole place on fire."

"How did you survive?" I questioned.

"My instincts helped keep me alive while I crawled toward my legs," she replied. "I managed to attach them in time and crawled away from the fire before it engulfed me. To be honest with you, even I can't explain how I survive that day. Either my gift was more powerful than I thought, God actually exists and he helped me or I just got extremely lucky."

"Carlisle and Esme would go with answer two," I replied. "I probably would too, but that's me."

Victoria chuckled. "The idea of God existing has always been an odd one for me to consider. I never thought about it as a human, but when I joined this family and learned that there were three vampires who openly believed, it made me wonder. Do you have any ideas what the others believe in? I've never even considered asking them before."

"Riley and Jane are agnostic, Rose shares our belief, though she's never mentioned it before, Em is catholic if I recall and Jazz…I'm not too sure about Jazz, but probably the same as Em," I replied, thinking back to the times they'd discussed their faiths. "Faith is an odd concept for a vampire, I'll agree to that. But I feel that it can help to have some faith, you know?"

"Maybe," Victoria said. "I don't know how I feel about it, personally. I guess I'll have to do some soul searching there. Either way, I got out alive and became bitter and mistrustful of any vampire I came across. That was how it was when I met you. Did I want to find my sister? Yes, but I didn't know how because I'd lost her scent. I felt…hopeless."

I kissed her cheek. "Why didn't you ever tell us about your sister?"

"At first, I thought it would end up being another Thorne situation," Victoria admitted. "I didn't want to take the chance of opening up and being turned on again. But then Jazz joined and we fell in love…after that, I don't know why I never said anything. Maybe because she might be dead and I didn't want to hear such a thing? I'm not sure."

"You can't think that way, Tori," I said. "If your sister is anything like you, she's smart and knows how to survive. Besides, if she were gone, you would know. She's out there."

"I hope so," Victoria said.

I bit my lip and thought about something helpful to say. "Oh!" I mentally smacked myself for not thinking of it sooner. "I could ask Alice to see if she could find your sister."

"You think she'd do that for me?" Victoria asked. "I've barely said much to her, after all…"

"So?" I smiled warmly at her. "Look, I'll run the idea by Alice and see if she can do it. If she can and she's able to see something, I'll let you know. If she can't, then we'll figure out another way to find your sister, Tori. I promise you we'll find her."

Victoria looked touched by my words. "Bella, you don't have—"

I shushed her. "Yes, I do. I'm your sister, Tori. Maybe not by blood, but in every other sense of the word, we're sisters. But more than that, we're friends and that's something true friends do for each other. And given the fact that we're immortals who have tons of money, I don't see why traveling around to find your long lost sister would be an issue."

"Alright," Victoria said. "I want to be there, though, to explain to Alice what she needs to know and thank her even if she doesn't find anything. It's the least I can do. And thank you, Bella, for hearing me out and helping me calm down a bit. I appreciate it."

She kissed my cheek and I gave her a squeeze. "Will you tell the others?"

"Yes," she replied. "They're my family too and they deserve to know, especially Carlisle, Esme and Jasper. I should've told you guys a long time ago, but I was too stuck in my ways to consider it and too fearful to bring up the past. At least now I know I shouldn't be."

I stood up alongside her. "Tori, if there's one thing I know from experience, it's that sometimes the past can be difficult to let go of. Look at me and my obsession with hunting Edward. It nearly killed me and now all I can think about is correcting that mistake. I think what we should take from the past is that we shouldn't make the same mistakes twice, we should learn from them."

"If we let our past problems control us, then we'll end up losing ourselves to them. And there's nothing fun about being bitter and full of pointless hate at something that happened many years ago. I'm not saying you should forget it, but let it stay in the past. Use your experience to make you stronger, just as I'm trying to do now. No matter what, you'll have me and the others."

Victoria smirked. "I never would have thought I'd be talking with you about this kind of thing and feeling all mushy. I'm not sure whether to be disgusted or overjoyed, so I think I'll stick with a healthy balance of the two and suggest we get back home. The last thing I need is for this to turn into some weird-ass make out session like what you and Rose do."

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, heaven forbid you kiss a woman, Tori."

"I'm not against lesbians, dipshit," Victoria snickered. "I'm just saying if I had to kiss a woman, it probably wouldn't be someone in my family. No offense."

"None taken," I replied. "We really should get home, though."

"Probably," my sister agreed. "You want to race?"

I gave her an inquisitive look. "We just found out I have a gift relating to speed and you're asking me to race you? Now why do I find that an ironic question?"

"Because I'll cheat," Victoria replied.

"There's something that doesn't surprise me," I deadpanned. Something hit me at that moment and I let my mouth fall open. "Holy crap. Tori, I have a _gift_!" I did a fist pump excitedly in the air at the realization that I did have a cool power of my own. "That is so awesome!"

Victoria snickered. "Yeah, I know, you're "special". Everyone knows that."

I growled. "You are so gonna get it, bitch."

"Bring it, short stuff," she scoffed. "You stink and you know it."

We dashed off towards the house at the same time, each of us running at full speed to beat the other to the house. Luckily for me, I was the faster of the two of us even without using my gift and easily sprinted through the doorway first, Victoria milliseconds behind me. I spun right and plopped onto the couch as Victoria came to a halt, glaring me down.

"Damn you, Bella," she growled in annoyance.

"Who stinks now, huh?" I taunted, sticking my tongue out at her.

I felt a pair of arms fling around me as Alice practically pounced onto my body, which would have startled me were I a human. I happily hugged her back and greeted her with a kiss as Jasper came and swept Victoria off her feet to do the same, although his was a bit more dramatic.

I cupped my mate's cheeks and smiled lovingly at her. "Sorry it took me so long."

"It's okay," she murmured. "I caught a glimpse of you two talking, so it's no big deal."

"You worried me, darlin'," Jasper remarked, gazing into Victoria's eyes.

"Sorry," she replied. "I had a lot going through my mind. I'm glad Bella came to see me, she really helped." Her eyes met mine and shimmered with gratefulness. "Thanks, sis."

"No problem, Tori," I replied. "I'm happy to help."

"What have you two been doing this whole time?" Emmett questioned.

"Talking," Victoria answered. "Why, you got a problem with it?"

"We were starting to worry," Esme said, frowning at her fiery-haired daughter. "You should know by now that when someone in this family disappears for a long period of time without any sign that they're okay, I get nervous, even if it was only for a few hours."

Victoria rubbed the back of her neck. "Sorry, Esme," she murmured.

The two hugged for a moment and I smiled at the sight. "It's alright, Victoria. I'm not mad, I just wanted you to know that you're extremely important to everyone here and we don't like seeing you upset or hurt. I'm glad you're feeling better, though."

"It's mostly thanks to Bella," she replied, glancing at me.

I waved it off. "I hardly did anything at all, really. I simply listened."

Victoria rolled her eyes. "Speaking of listening, I think now would be the opportune time to tell everyone about my experience with the Thornes. I want you all to know that no matter what you choose to do in regards to their offer, I'll stick by this family. I wouldn't dream of leaving for anything, mark my words."

"We'd kick your ass if you did," Rosalie said with a snort.

"That's reassuring to know," Victoria chuckled. She and Esme seated themselves as everyone else got comfortable. "Alright then, I suppose I'll start with all of you as I did with Bella. Oh, Cynthia, Alice, feel free to stay and listen if you like. I don't mind."

Alice and Cynthia nodded silently. Alice snuggled further into my body—which looked relatively amusing due to the two inch difference in our heights, but I didn't care—and I relaxed with her into the couch as Victoria began to recount her story and how she met the Thornes, including the details about her sister Anna.

I thought about her pain and the bitterness she held inside of her and compared it to the vast hatred I had for Edward. We were a lot alike in that aspect; we both had been victims to cruel vampires in the past, although our stories were slightly different.

It didn't matter, though. I was happy that Victoria had opened up to me. I saw a side to her that I'd never seen before and I truly believed our bond had been strengthened today. I didn't know what to expect from the Thornes and what their plans were, but I wouldn't worry about them for the time being. Right now, what was most important to me was my family and my Alice.

"I love you," I whispered into her ear, quiet enough for her to hear without disturbing Victoria.

"I love you too," she whispered being, turning her enough to kiss me.

I knew in my heart that I would need to have a clear mind if I ever saw Edward again. I couldn't let my anger or his words manipulate me into being rash again. Knowing that he was after Alice, I couldn't take that risk. I would keep training and get stronger in every way possible, including learning how to toss my thoughts around to throw Edward off.

I would do whatever it took to protect the people I loved.

**A/N: And there you have Victoria's backstory. I hope those of you who voted Victoria liked it. I enjoyed writing it because I like building up characters and their relationships with the protagonist. In this case, I think Bella needed it just as much as Victoria. I believe someone said in a review that this was, in fact, Bella's story, and that's quite true. It is Bella's story, not Alice's. Alice is a key part, make no mistake, but this is primarily about Bella's growth and development with love being the main factor.**

**At any rate, on an off topic note, I'm going to send my manuscript off to an editing group in Amarillo, Texas. They're a bit new, but I like what I see and I've decided to go with them, plus, they're not super expensive, so it helps me out a great deal. Keep your fingers crossed everyone. Once that's done, I'll be one stop closer to getting my book out into the world and I'll be sure to let everyone here know when that happens. **

**Another note, I plan to put the fan fiction on hiatus come chapter fifty. After that, I want to get back into writing my novel for a while. Just so you're all aware.**

**Today's question: who would you choose to be Cynthia's mate if you could?**


	36. Gifted

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, Meyer does. I own my characters and ideas, that is all. **

**A/N: I hereby dedicate this chapter to my friend Silva. I promised I'd dedicate one to her. :)**

**Gifted**

After Victoria finished her tale, I decided to leave the room and give the others a chance to speak with her about her past, including the knowledge of her sister. Victoria seemed a bit awkward initially about opening up to everyone, but she grew more comfortable and I saw no reason to be present when I knew everything I needed to.

Alice joined me some time later and soon enough, the rest of the day passed us by, Alice falling asleep in my arms while laying in my bed. I was more than happy to hold her while she slept, though I had to wonder how comfortable I could be given my cold body temperature. Still, she never once woke up until it was the following morning.

Again, it was a sunny day, so we wouldn't be going to school. Alice didn't care in the slightest; she was happy to have the chance to spend more time with me.

Currently, I was laying on top of my bed with Alice, who was content with snuggling with me while we listened to my iPod together, neither of us wanting to move. I pressed my lips to my mate's forehead and she giggled in return, grinning up at me with her shimmering eyes.

"I love you," she said.

"As I love you," I replied.

"That was really cool of you to do, by the way," she said.

"What was?" I asked, confused.

"The way you talked with your sister to make her feel better," she replied. "That shows how much you care about the members of your family, which I think is really cool. It made me think about my relationship with Cynthia and how we can become closer together as siblings. Plus, Victoria's backstory was really cool to listen to. You vampires are so interesting."

I laughed. "Jeez, Alice, you make us sound like lab rats."

"Wha-no, that's not what I mean!" she huffed. "Don't twist my words around!"

"But I like annoying you," I remarked, snickering at her facial expressions. "I'm playing Alice, I know what you mean. And I agree, too. A lot of my family members have really interesting stories to share since they've experienced more in their lives than the average human. Just ask Carlisle and Esme, they've been around for over three hundred years."

"I couldn't imagine what that's like," Alice remarked. "I mean…how would it feel to live that long without dying? How do you feel, for that matter?"

I shrugged. "It's difficult to explain. Time is a different concept for us than it is for you humans; time goes by slower to us, for instance. We could be sitting in a waiting room for five minutes and by the first minute, we'll be extremely impatient and bored. Carlisle and Esme say that as time goes on, we grow more adjusted to the difference in time and adjust to it."

"It's like how you humans divide time into these ideas. You have milliseconds, seconds, minutes, hours, days, etcetera. For a vampire, all those things are blended together, so, for example, what you might see as being a few minutes might feel like a few hours to me, and at the same time, what I feel like being a day will in fact be several days in real life."

"Wow," Alice breathed. "That's the most you've ever said in a single sitting." She looked at me with awe in her eyes. "And that was really smart, too, Bella. I mean that as a compliment."

I shrugged. "I am intelligent despite what some may think, I simply prefer to keep my wits to myself when it comes down to it. Besides, I can't explain it the way Carlisle and Esme can, they know all the technical, sciency terms and they at least know a way to avoid making your head hurt with a bunch of confusing terms. Not that that's ever happened to _me_."

Alice giggled and sat up, removing the earbud and turning off my iPod. "Let's do something."

"Like what?" I asked, moving my iPod to my nightstand.

"I don't know," she replied. "I know we can't go into town because of the whole sun thing, but we could maybe go out and hang out in the woods or something? I like spending time in your house, its badass, but I like being in nature all the same, so I figured I'd—"

She suddenly stopped speaking and her eyes glazed over, at which point I knew she was having a vision. I patiently waited for her vision to finish while I put my iPod into its proper drawer, tossing around ideas in my mind for something to do with Alice that wouldn't involve going into town or anywhere near public. That was the biggest downside to the sunlight: lack of options.

"Oh!" Alice breathed as I sat back on the bed. "Um…apparently we're going to have visitors?"

I frowned. "Visitors? Don't tell me it's those Thorne bastards."

"No, not them," she replied. "These people have gold eyes like you. I saw them running through the shadows on their way here, but I noticed they had dark hair and darker skin."

I smiled. "Oh, I know them anywhere. That's Eleazar and Carmen, two more members of the Denali coven up in Alaska. Eleazar's the one with the ability to tell what gift a vampire has, what gift a human will have as a vampire and a way to combat it. He can also find any notable skills a vampire or human has. He was the one who told me my speed was my best trait."

"How come he didn't see you having a gift?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," I admitted. "That has me puzzled as well. I'm going to ask when he arrives."

"What about his mate, Carmen?" Alice questioned.

"Carmen doesn't have a gift, but she's one scary fighter," I replied. "She's as strong as Rosalie in the physical department—and Rose is the third strongest in this family—and as durable as Emmett when it comes to taking attacks. I think what Carmen has going for her is her intelligence, though. She can think faster than the average vampire can, I've noticed that."

"She sounds badass," Alice remarked.

I chuckled. "She is. Everyone in the Denali coven is. But they're not as cool as we are."

"I don't know, I really like Kate and Amara," Alice said, wiggling her eyebrows mischievously when I shot her a scowl. "They're hella sexy."

"True," I replied. "Do you have any idea on when they'll be here?"

Alice tilted her head to one side and concentrated. "I'm guessing…two hours tops?"

I grinned. "So that gives us a bit of time to ourselves, then. What to do…" An evil idea popped into my head and I instantly pinned Alice's wrists down. "I just realized something. I haven't gotten you back for teasing me the other day with the towel bit." I licked my lips. "Tell me, Alice, how long can you hold out on being tickled?"

Alice's eyes widened in terror. "Oh, God, no. _Please_, no."

"Hmm." My grin widened evilly for dramatic effect. "Nope, sorry, that won't do. Unless you can make me an offer of some kind not to typical you mercilessly…?"

Alice swallowed roughly and tried to come up with ideas. "Um…er…I, uh…I don't…"

"Nothing?" I asked, lifting an eyebrow. "How sad. Oh well."

In a flash I was at her conveniently naked feet, wrapping my legs around her knees to prevent her from getting away as I began slowly stroking her soles. Alice latched onto my bed and practically clamped her mouth shut, struggling as she attempted not to laugh.

"Aw, don't torture yourself, Alice," I cooed. "Laugh. I like the sound of your laughter."

I sped up my motions and rapidly moved my fingers up and down her soles. Alice couldn't take it anymore and burst into a hysterical fit of laughter, thrashing about wildly as I tickled my poor human's feet. I let out an evil cackle for added effect as Alice writhed about like a mad woman in a futile attempt to get away, begging me between breaths to stop.

"S-S-STOP!" Alice screamed, tears starting to form in her eyes. "B-B-BELLA!"

I paused for a few seconds when the sound of heart thundering in her chest started to grab my attention and let her catch her breath. She breathed in and out raggedly, glaring at me as she wiped her dampened face with her sleeve while I remained where I was, smirking.

"I…fucking…hate…you," Alice ground out.

"No you don't," I snickered. "You love me." I rested my hands on my lap. "Are you ticklish anywhere else, my dear Alice? Cynthia made it sound like you were."

"I'm…not telling you," Alice grunted, still catching her breath.

I tsk-ed and shook my head. "Wrong answer, my dear." I began tickling her feet again, reveling in the way she squirmed and laughed from my ticklish onslaught. And while I knew she was hating this, I had a feeling she was secretly enjoying it, too. "Tell me where else you're ticklish, my lovely Alice, and I'll stop tickling your cute little feet."

"NEVER!" Alice shouted, before guffawing and nearly tearing a hole into my bed. A few minutes passed and Alice finally caved. "ALRIGHT! Y-YOU W-WIN! MERCY!"

I stopped my assault and giggled evilly. "Fess up, Alice."

She gasped for air, drenched in sweat now as I un-wrapped my legs from her knees, giving her the freedom to move. She pulled her legs up and hid her feet under my blankets—which was cute, even though I could easily grab them again if I needed to—and ran a hand through her moist hair, glaring at me all the while.

"Bitch," she growled, though I could tell it was mock anger.

"Sometimes," I replied, moving in close. "C'mon, you owe me an answer."

She took in a shaky breath and sighed. "My sides and armpits are ticklish, okay?"

"Good," I said, grinning at the new knowledge. "Thank you. Was that so hard to do?"

"You're evil," Alice huffed.

I kissed her damp cheek, tasting the sweetness of her sweat. "Aw, don't be that way. I'm pretty sure you liked being tickled more than you're letting on, huh?"

She stared at me for a moment before nodding somberly. "Yes, I did."

"Well, I'm glad to know," I said. "Do you want to head downstairs?"

"Ew," Alice replied with a grimace. "I'm all sweaty and stinky. I need a shower first."

"Good point," I agreed. "Alright, then, I'll wait for you downstairs."

"Hey!" Alice huffed. "You're supposed to tell me I don't stink!"

"You don't, but if you walk down there drenched in sweat with messy hair, my siblings are going to jump the gun on how you came to be that way," I pointed out. "And I'm sure you'll be embarrassed like crazy. Therefore, a shower would help prevent that, don't you agree?"

Alice blinked and considered my point before nodding. "You're right. I'll shower. Oh, Bella?"

"Yes?" I asked as I got off my bed.

"Two things," she said, narrowing her eyes. "One, I swear to you I will get you back someday for tormenting me like this and two, you'd better tickle me more often."

I lifted an eyebrow. "Don't those two things kind of clash with each other?"

"Not the point," Alice said, sticking her tongue out at me.

With an air of adorable petulance, Alice made her way out of my room to shower and I couldn't help laughing to myself. I loved moments like this with Alice because it brought us closer together and really helped strengthen the bond we had. I was satisfied yet, however, especially when I mentally compared the closeness the rest of my family had with their mates.

There was an innate connection between mates, one that Alice and I had not yet reached. We were working towards it at a steady pace, which was a definite good sign. The more we learned about each other and the more we opened up, I was confident we would reach that level within no time. Alice meant the world to me and I would make sure she knew that.

While I thought on this, another thought popped into my mind: Alice becoming a vampire. I hadn't given it a lot of thought lately, but the idea had been in the back of my mind as of late, lurking there until I brought it up with Alice herself. Truthfully, I hoped Alice would choose immortality and be with me forever. That would make me the happiest woman in the world.

_Almost_, I thought. _Once Edward is dead, then I'll be happy._

For the time being, I would continue to work hard on training until the time came when I would have the chance to kill Edward. That day would be glorious, but I couldn't get ahead of myself. Edward was a slimy bastard, so killing him would be difficult, especially since I was so emotionally invested in it. I needed to work on that at some point and soon.

With a sigh, I stood up and headed downstairs to enter the family room, which was surprisingly empty for a change. The only person present was Cynthia, who was reading a magazine casually on the couch until I walked in, at which point she set it down and smiled at me.

"Hey, Bella," she greeted.

"Cynthia," I replied with a smile. "How's it going?"

"Good," she replied. "Where's Alice?"

"Taking a shower," I answered, sitting down. "I didn't realize Alice had a thing for being tickled until today. Did you know that?"

Cynthia giggled. "I knew she liked it, but no, I didn't know either. So _that's_ what you were doing up there. Your brother, Jasper, had the strangest look on his face for a little while before he and Victoria left to go…hunt. I figured you would take my advice on it eventually, though. It's fun to tickle torture her, isn't it? She's an easy target."

"She is," I agreed with a snicker. "Say, where's everyone else at?"

"I'm not sure," she said with a shrug. "When I woke up and came down here, Jasper and Victoria were the only two I saw. I asked and they said that your parents were upstairs in their study room, but I'm not sure about the others."

"Oh well," I chuckled. "That reminds me. Alice had a vision of two more of the family's "cousins" coming to visit, the one who can tell if someone has a gift and his mate. Alice said they'll be here within the next hour and a half, just so you're aware. I'm sure he'll be able to find out whether or not you really have a gift or if you're just super smart."

"I hope it's both," Cynthia said, grinning. "I want to make Alice jealous."

"We'll have to wait and see," I said, relaxing into the couch.

Jasper and Victoria returned home around ten minutes later, walking in with bright gold eyes as they greeted me with a hug and cheek kiss. Esme and Carlisle came downstairs shortly after and I informed all of them of Alice's vision about Eleazar and Carmen arriving.

"My, that was prompt," Esme remarked. "I called them the other day to mention it, but I didn't think they'd come down so quickly. I guess they were intrigued by what they heard."

"I thought they were in Spain?" I asked.

"They were on their way back when I called," Esme replied. "I merely mentioned to them that you had a gift and told them about Alice and Cynthia, stating that whenever they had the time, they should come over and help us decipher whether or not Cynthia has a gift."

"It will be good to see them, regardless," Carlisle remarked.

"What are they like?" Cynthia asked.

"Like Carlisle and Esme, only younger," Victoria replied, causing our parents to scowl at her.

"And what the hell does that mean?" Esme asked, narrowing her eyes.

"I meant physically," Victoria stated, biting her lip. "Since you're twenty eight and Carlisle's twenty five and all, I meant how Eleazar and Carmen are both twenty two."

"Bad lie, Tori," Jasper snickered.

Victoria hissed. "You're supposed to be on my side, jackass!"

"I am on your side," Jasper said with a wink. "I simply don't like to lie."

I rolled my eyes as the two began wrestling around on the floor while Carlisle and Esme watched on in amusement. Cynthia seemed to enjoy it as well and I wondered what was taking Alice so long to finish showering. Then I recalled that she enjoyed taking long showers, so I didn't worry about it and decided to join in on the wrestling match by tackling Victoria.

We wrestled for a good fifteen minutes, none of us coming out as the victor. Esme ultimately broke it up when we came dangerously close to breaking one of her prized vases and we all scowled at there not being a victor, though Victoria said we'd have to continue outside. By then, I was beginning to wonder just how long a shower Alice could take.

"Cynthia, what's the longest Alice has ever spent showering?" I inquired.

"About an hour and a half," she replied. "I had to throw her out to get my turn."

"Would you be willing to go check on her?" I asked.

"That won't be necessary," Rosalie replied as she and Emmett walked down from upstairs, a shit-eating grin plastered onto my oldest sister's face. "I think you're going to like what you see, Belly-Button. Alice has a little surprise for you."

"It's not a strip tease, though," Emmett said. "I asked."

I arched an eyebrow. "Do I want to know?"

"Oh yes," Rosalie replied. "You do."

Confused, I wondered if this was the "revenge" Alice had mentioned. I caught wind of her scent and heard a door opening upstairs, so I waited. Not too long after, Alice gracefully made her way downstairs and what I saw shocked me; she'd cut her hair!

"Holy crap," Cynthia breathed.

_My thoughts exactly_, I said inwardly as Alice strolled over to me. Her once long hair was gone now, replaced by a short mess of spikes that looked utterly sexy on her. She grinned at my reaction and sat down next to me, lightly fluffing her hair for dramatic effect.

"What do you think?" she asked.

"I like it," I replied.

"Sexy, isn't it?" she teased, pressing her lips to mine. "I asked Rosalie to cut it for me and she did a wonderful job." She turned to Rosalie with a sweet smile. "Thank you, Rosalie."

"No problem," Rosalie replied. "Shorter hair isn't my thing, but it looks sexy on you."

"I agree," Alice chirped. She rested her head on my shoulder as I wrapped an arm around her, leaning in to bury my nose into her silky locks. I breathed her intoxicating scent in repeatedly, smiling as I nuzzled further into her hair. Alice giggled. "That feels good."

"It smells even better," I murmured against her head. "And it's so soft."

Alice giggled again and cuddled with me as we both laid our heads on the arm rest, Alice snuggling into my body as I held her close. My body began to vibrate as I continued rubbing my nose against her hair, loving the new short haircut Alice had gotten.

"Oh," Alice remarked. "Your cousins are here."

I frowned and pulled away from her. "Already? That was quick."

There was a knock on the door and soon enough Eleazar and Carmen were walking inside, Carmen smiling warmly as always while Eleazar maintained his usual placid demeanor. They noticed Alice and Cynthia right away and Carmen practically sprang forward.

"Hola!" she greeted, offering her hand to Alice. "I'm Carmen and you must be Alice!"

"Um, hi," Alice replied, slightly surprised.

Carmen beamed. "I'm sorry about my over excitement, I'm just so happy that mi amiga has finally found her other half. And a cute one too, just like Kate and Amara said." She turned to Cynthia, tilted her head to one side, then walked over and smiled. "They didn't mention you, but you must be Alice's hermana, si?"

Cynthia blinked and nodded. "Yes. My name's Cynthia." She shook Carmen's hand when she offered it while Eleazar chuckled and slowly made his way towards us. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise!" Carmen replied happily. She ran around the room to greet everyone, saving me for last when she came and scooped me into a tight hug. "Oh, Bella, I'm so happy for you! You found your mate and you have a gift! Congratulations, mi amiga!"

"Thanks, Carmen," I chuckled, hugging her back as we traded cheek kisses. "Good to see you."

"Thank you for coming on such short notice," Carlisle said, shaking Eleazar's hand.

"It's no problem," Eleazar replied. "When I heard that Bella had a gift, I had to come immediately to see for myself. Plus, hearing about the two human girls staying with you intrigued me as well, so it was double the incentive to visit."

Once Carmen set me down, I stood and walked over to Eleazar. "I wanted to know how you missed the fact that I have a gift. Didn't you notice before?"

Eleazar frowned and studied me for a moment. "Ah. I see. It would appear that I _did _notice before; I simply never mentioned anything because at the time your gift had yet to fully develop as it has begun to do now. Tell me, Bella, what do you think your gift is?"

"Something speed related?" I replied.

"Exactly," he said. "Your gift…I'm not sure what to call it exactly, but it allows you to move in ways no ordinary vampire could. You can move so fast that, to your eyes only, time itself will slow down, allowing you to avoid unnecessary danger, for example. In a way, it's sort of like an adrenaline rush for a vampire, only to a much stronger degree."

"Since you've only recently discovered it, you have yet to fully tap into the potential you gift has, but I can give you the basic idea of what you're looking at. Your body can move and react quicker than the average vampire and as it continues to develop, you'll learn to think faster as well, making you a threat to anyone you fight against."

"Another thing of note is that you will be able to increase the movement of your entire body to a degree that no ordinary vampire will be able to stop you. A word of warning, however; using your gift in the two unique ways I mentioned repeatedly will wear you down. I suggest training it and starting small before you try anything too overtly strenuous on your body."

"So she's like The Flash mixed with the Matrix?" Emmett questioned.

"To put it into simple terms, yes," Eleazar replied.

"Cool," Alice breathed as I sat back down.

Eleazar looked to Alice and cleared his throat. "My apologies, I didn't introduce myself. I am Eleazar, Carmen's husband. You're clearly Bella's mate and you are her sister." He glanced to both and received nods. "It's a pleasure to meet the two of you."

"Likewise," the sisters chimed together.

Eleazar nodded to each, then looked at Alice. He studied her for a moment with interest. "I don't think I've ever met a human with the ability to see the future before, let alone one with such a heightened gift despite the fact that she's human. Very impressive."

"Thank you," Alice replied with a smirk. "Will it get stronger?"

"Yes," he answered. "I can tell that the full potential of your gift has yet to awaken. If you were to become a vampire, it would unlock that potential, but I don't see that happening if you remain a human." He turned to Cynthia next and did the same to her. "Hmm. What was it you said this girl's gift was, Esme? Or at least, what you believed it would be?"

"I'm not certain," Esme replied. "But she's very good at noticing small details. It seemed like the kind of thing that may evolve into a gift if she were to become a vampire. What do you sense?"

"I sense that she does have a very keen sense of sight and that she will notice the smallest of details fairly quickly, but I don't see it becoming a gift, more so a skill," he replied. "However, I do sense the inert potential of a gift deep within her, one she has yet to tap into the way her sister has, which is understandable as such a thing is quite rare."

"What will my gift be?" Cynthia asked curiously.

"I do believe it will be telekinesis," Eleazar replied. "I could be wrong, as it's harder to tell what a human's gift is for me, but I'm fairly certain. You have this innate ability to notice things, but I can sense that there is a hidden desire within you to want the power to change things lying within you, one that will evolve into telekinesis. Sorry, I'm not sure how else to explain it."

Cynthia and Alice shot up and squealed happily. "That is so fucking cool!" Cynthia shouted in delight. "Now I totally want to be a vampire!"

"Me too!" Alice chirped in agreement.

I watched the two bounce around like giddy school girls and thought to myself about how open they seemed to turning into vampires. Normally when I thought about such a thing for a human, it would be a big decision since most humans had families, friends and other things they would be leaving behind. For these girls, however, I realized they didn't have those things.

_I should still talk with Alice alone about it_, I thought. _Just to be certain._

"Wasn't there something else you wanted to talk about?" Carmen inquired.

"Yes, there was," Carlisle replied. "You see, we've run across a bit of a dilemma."

"Do tell," Eleazar replied. "We planned to stop in Alaska briefly before returning to Spain for our vacation and to visit old friends, but we'd be happy to help in any way we can."

Carlisle and Esme proceeded to explain the situation with Edward and the appearance of the Thornes, Victoria adding some input here and there to give them an idea that the Thornes weren't the nicest vampires around, but also stated we had yet to form a decision on whether or not we could trust them and take their offer of assistance.

In truth, ever since Victoria told her story, we hadn't even discussed the Thornes, primarily because most of us hoped they would simply leave us be and that would be the end of it. Even so, I had a bad feeling in my gut that it wouldn't be that simple. Given what I saw and learned about them from Victoria, they'd be back. But what could we say?

"That's no bueno," Carmen said, frowning. "If they go to the Volturi, then you'll have them to deal with and none of us want that to happen."

"Precisely," Esme replied. "Now you see the problem."

"That is troubling," Eleazar remarked. "Very troubling indeed. Perhaps the best option would be considering turning the girls into vampires? That way, you wouldn't be breaking any laws. Not only that, but the Volturi don't know about their gifts yet."

Carlisle and Esme shared a look. "Turning them would only do so much," Esme said. "And…we still have our treaty to uphold. If we break the treaty, it'll only give us more enemies."

"You could move," Carmen suggested.

Rosalie scoffed. "To where? Even if we did move, we'd have two newborns to deal with and that would be utter chaos." She glanced at Alice and Cynthia when the two halted their dancing of excitement and frowned at my blonde sister. "Sorry, girls, but you've got to know now that when you turn, you'll be extremely difficult to keep in check. We'd have to keep you locked up."

"Only for a while," Emmett added when Alice's eyes widened with terror. I stood and wrapped her into my arms reassuringly. "I mean, if you went near any humans…"

"You would kill them," Victoria finished. "As a newborn, you're gifted with immense strength and a bloodlust to rival it. You'll anger quickly and you'll have poor control, something each of us went through with the exception of Carlisle, who had a strong enough will to resist. The rest of us have killed countless humans because we lost control of ourselves."

"However, you would have us to help you," Jasper offered. "I personally have dealt with newborns in the past and with my gift, it would be easier to keep you calm rather than your primal instincts agitating you quickly like they normally would."

"That wouldn't make it a walk in the park either way," Rosalie stated.

Alice looked up at me. "Is this all true?"

I nodded. "Yes, I'm afraid so."

"Well that stinks," she huffed.

"Don't worry," I murmured, kissing her hair. "I'll be there with you the whole way if that's what you decide to do. We all will. The same goes for you, Cynthia. But let's save this conversation for another time." I turned to Carmen and Eleazar. "What do the two of you think?"

"I think you should accept their request," Carmen said. "Even if you don't like them, having them on your side might be beneficial. Not only that, but they'd be less likely to turn on you because the Volturi like your family more than most."

"They only like us because of Carlisle and Esme," Emmett grunted.

"Maybe so," Eleazar replied. "But she's still correct. Use them. You can act civil on the outside and still manipulate them into being pawns against Edward. It may be a waste of time, but you never know, they might come in handy. Should the worst come to past, you can always use your other allies to crush them. Or we can come and stay in Forks for a time to help."

"Si!" Carmen agreed. "They won't want to mess with all of us combined!"

Carlisle nodded. "True. We'll give it some thought. Thank you for coming to do this for us and I'm sorry we interrupted your vacation time. We appreciate it."

"It's quite alright," Eleazar replied. "We don't mind. I'm glad I was at least able to help identify Bella's gift and discern her mate's sister's gift as well. We're going to leave for the airport, but if you need us again, don't hesitate to call."

"Adios, everybody," Carmen said, waving. "Tell Jane and Riley we said hello."

We bid our goodbyes to the duo as they left just as quickly as they'd come. I thought about what Eleazar had said regarding my gift and made a mental note to practice with it like he'd suggested, but I would do so later on when I was in more of a mood.

I glanced down at Alice, about to ask a question when I noticed her eyes were glazed over. I waited until she came out of her vision to turn her around, noting the frown on her face.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"I saw the Thornes," she said.

Victoria shot up. "Where?"

"They're on their way here," Alice replied. "They'll be here within the hour."

_Great_, I groaned inwardly. _Here we go again._

**A/N: So there you have it. Bella's gift is _super_ super speed. Those of you who guessed it, kudos. **

**Truth be told, I intended for Carmen and Eleazar to make a longer cameo. I got so busy with the fluff, it didn't turn out that way, though. Ah well, it's not like they won't reappear in the future along with the rest of their family. :P**

**At any rate, I now have a new beta. My first has disappeared (which is fine, real life and all), the person who I believed to be my second never got back to me, so now I have a third. Special thank you to urthsin for agreeing to be my beta.**

**Next question: when you imagine Alice, do you see her as Ashley Greene's portrayal or one of your own mental creation? Is she the overly small girl Meyer made her or do you imagine her being a bit taller? What're your thoughts? For me, I see Ashley Greene and Alice being taller. While in both this and Blood Solstice Alice is 5'2, if I ever write future stories, she'll be...a bit taller. Why? Because I saw Ashley Alice first and like her the most. What about you?**


	37. Prickle

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight characters, I own my characters and ideas. Shaboom.**

**Prickle**

"Fucking great," Victoria growled under her breath. "Just what we need."

"They'll want an answer," Jasper remarked. "Unless we simply kill them."

"I like that idea," Victoria said with a devilish grin.

"So do I," Emmett agreed.

Esme and Carlisle both looked uncertain as Jane and Riley came downstairs looking particularly disheveled for reasons that were beyond obvious to most of us. Jane straightened her hair a bit as the duo sat down, glancing around the room when all eyes fell on them, including mine.

"What?" Jane asked. "What's the big deal?"

"You missed Carmen and Eleazar's visit," I informed them. "And the Thornes are coming."

Jane grinned. "Sweet. I can make them feel pain this time, right?"

"Let's make that decision now, shall we?" Carlisle offered, clearing his throat. "Cynthia, Alice, because you're guests in this house, your opinions matter too. Feel free to voice them should you disagree or agree with anything stated in this discussion, alright?"

"Sure," Cynthia replied. "Is it about what to do about those vampires?"

"Yes," Esme replied as she and Carlisle seated themselves. "I'll cut to the point. Alice has foreseen the Thornes coming here within the hour, and it's obvious they'll want an answer to their previously asked question. We have two choices—either accept their offer of assistance or turn them down. The consequences that follow are numerous regardless of the choice."

"We will stand together as we always have," Carlisle added. "Even if the worst should occur, we will do what must be done to protect each other, even if it means fleeing Washington. I don't want to start a war with the Volturi, but I won't risk the safety of any of you for that reason. What is the vote of each of you on the subject at hand?"

"I vote no," Victoria said with a growl. "The Thornes betrayed me once; I won't let them do it a second time, and I don't give a shit what the consequences are because I'll face them myself if I have to. Damn the Thornes to hell."

"Hell no!" Emmett boomed. "We don't need their help to kill that creep, so I say we tell them to fuck off, kick their asses, and go hunt that bastard down ourselves!"

"I hate to say it, but I'm going to have to say yes," Rosalie admitted begrudgingly. "My reasons now are the same I gave before. The Volturi are a big enough pain in the ass—having them come here would only fuck us over. Unless we decide to kill them…"

"No," Jane said with a snort. "Fuck 'em. We can kill Edward on our own. We don't need their stinking help, so tell them to go to hell, like Tori said."

Riley sighed. "I'm with Rose, regrettably. My reasons still stand as well."

"I'm not sure what to think," Cynthia mumbled when the room fell silent. "I mean, I don't want some creepy ancient vampires coming after your family, especially for my sister, but I don't want to cause unnecessary trouble." She paused and bit her lip. "I guess…yes." Her eyes flashed to Alice's, worry pulsing in them. "I have to protect my baby sister."

"That's alright, dear," Esme said. "No one's going to get mad at you for it."

Alice scoffed. "I'm not a 'baby,' Cynth. I'm eighteen, for crying out loud!"

"You know what I mean," Cynthia chuckled, tousling Alice's hair. "You know, I like your new hairdo, but I miss being able to mess your hair up."

"Stinks for you," Alice replied, sticking her tongue out.

"What're your thoughts, Alice?" Carlisle inquired politely.

Alice considered the question for a moment. "No. I don't like the sound of these Volturi people, but I don't trust the Thornes either. My gut's telling me to avoid both of them, if at all possible."

"My vote is no," Esme said. "I refuse to be involved with a coven I don't know, and I haven't forgiven them for their snide remarks towards Victoria, nor do I trust them. Therefore, I would rather deal with the Volturi, whom I know enough about to know what their weaknesses are, rather than make a deal with vampires I don't know."

Carlisle pursed his lips. "I'm mixed on what to decide, truthfully. Neither choice feels right, but I would have to say yes, if only because we may be able to use the Thornes to our advantage."

All eyes fell on me at that point, and I tossed around how I felt about it. In the end, the family's vote always came down to me. I was the "center" of the family in the eyes of everyone else, and as such, whatever I decided was often what everyone went with regardless of whether or not someone voted against the idea, something I always felt bad about.

In this case, I didn't trust the Thornes, but I didn't want them to go to the Volturi. Either way I would be playing with fire, and it would take a miracle for me to avoid burning myself and everyone else because of the decision made in the end. However, I knew in my gut what the right choice would be, and I had to stick with my thoughts.

"No," I said. "It's too risky to trust vampires we don't know, and I won't take the chance that they're working with Edward or something worse. We have no way of knowing, so I'd rather refuse their offer and deal with it later than be stabbed in the back."

"Good choice," Victoria remarked. "Then it's settled. We tell them no, and they'd better fucking leave, or I'll start ripping heads off regardless of what anyone tells me."

"I'm curious about something, Victoria," Riley said. "If we do end up fighting these individuals, do any of them have gifts we should be wary about? Tell us about how they fight, too. It may come in handy for the future."

Victoria narrowed her eyes in thought. "You want to know how they fight, huh? That's not a question I can easily answer, since I never paid attention to the way they fought during battles—I was always focused on what I was doing. I did learn a bit from Nikala and Asher, however. I can say without a doubt they are the most vicious combatants I've ever seen before.

"Nikala is the worst. She'll use any means she can to win, even if it means using cheap tactics like going after your mate. It doesn't matter to her, so long as she wins. Asher is no better, but he's more calculating than he is menacing. I'd say he's as smart as both Carlisle and Esme combined, and he isn't afraid to make sure you know it, either."

"As far as the others go, Adira is the most bloodthirsty, Erykah is extremely cocky, Cathal is just as bad, and Dante is…difficult to follow. He's smart, too, and thinks on his feet like Jazz. In terms of gifts, I _know_ Adira has one, but I've never seen it despite her constantly gloating about it. Cathal can make physical barriers around himself or others, though. Be careful with that.

"Erykah is super strong, but doesn't really have a gift outside of that as far as I know." Victoria paused briefly in thought before continuing with the last Thorne. "Dante can manipulate shadows for a variety of purposes, like hiding himself or freezing you in place. I've seen his gift in action before, and I have to say, it's creepy as hell."

"Interesting," Jasper remarked. "At least we know what to expect."

Emmett snorted. "Who cares what gifts they have? We're still better."

"We still shouldn't underestimate them," Riley stated. "You should know by now that if we overestimate our own abilities, it'll bite us in the ass in the long run."

"Why do you have to suck the fun out of it?" Emmett asked, scowling. "It's not all that complicated when there're fewer of them than there are us. I mean, shit, all we gotta do is turn Alice and Cynthia, and then we'll have even _more_ vampires in the family!"

"Quit giving them ideas, Em," Rosalie chided. "You know it wouldn't work."

Emmett shrugged. "I'm just saying."

"I wonder how they'll react when we give them the bad news," Jasper mused.

"They'll likely pretend to take it fine," Victoria said with a scoff. "Just wait. They'll act like nothing's wrong, but I know for a fact that Asher and Nikala will be pissed. One thing they hate more than weakness is being refused by somebody. Not even they can hide their irritation. As for what they'll do after, I'm not sure. That's anyone's guess."

"What are the chances of them going to the Volturi?" I asked.

"Hard to say," she replied. "The Thornes have never liked the Volturi. They even killed a pair of Volturi guards years ago for no reason at all. I doubt they've ever been to Volterra because they've always been good at hiding and erasing their tracks. I'm pretty sure they used me as a means to avoid the Volturi as well since, I always knew when trouble was near."

"So if they did go, then the Volturi would know what they thought," Emmett said, grinning. "I bet Aro and Sulpicia would be pissed as hell to know their guards were killed by a couple of wanna-be posers like these Thorne jackasses."

"They probably know," Rosalie remarked. "Or at the very least, they're searching, since every guard is like a fucking baby to those freaks."

"Are these Volturi folks really that bad?" Cynthia asked. "I mean, didn't you say they were the body of law for all vampires or something, Carlisle?"

"In a way, yes," Carlisle replied. "Unfortunately, that law is corrupt. The Volturi have very strict rules, and they tend to break them themselves rather frequently. I believe what Aro and Sulpicia are trying to do is build an army strong enough to take full control of the world. They're growing steadily year by year, but I'm not sure either will ever be satisfied by the number of guards."

"They go after gifted vampires," Esme said. "That's all they care about. If you have a unique, exploitable gift, you're fair game for the Volturi. And usually you don't have a say in whether or not you want to join; one of their coven members will force you to regardless of what _you_ want."

Alice looked terrified. "They have a vampire who can do that?"

"Her name's Chelsea," I said, wrapping my arm around her. "Her gift allows her to bend the bonds of any vampire she wants, forcing them to ally with the Volturi. That's the only reason the Volturi even exists. Without Chelsea, it would just be Aro and Sulpicia. Chelsea is the centerpiece, the glue that holds that madhouse of monsters in place."

"So…she could make us…" Alice trailed off, and I kissed her cheek to reassure her.

"Alice, she won't get you or your sister," I said. "I wouldn't let her. Besides, the assholes at Volterra may want some of us for their "collection," but luckily, not all the Kings and Queens are borderline psycho enough to let that happen. Marcus and Didyme are the only decent rulers over there, and they're content with us being left alone."

"How long will that last for, though?" Cynthia asked. She was just as worried as Alice.

I sighed and turned to Carlisle and Esme for some aid.

"I wouldn't worry about it, dears," Esme said in a gentle voice as Jasper sent out waves of calm. "The Volturi are too preoccupied with their own problems to think about us. If something should happen, we'll find a way to deal with it. Rest assured, you're both in good hands, I promise."

Alice and Cynthia visibly relaxed, but then Alice frowned. "They're here."

A few seconds later, there was a knock at the door. Carlisle and Esme shared a look before standing and going to answer it while I turned to Alice and Cynthia.

"Do you two want to head upstairs?" I asked.

"Yes, please," Cynthia replied, taking Alice's hand. "We need to talk, anyways."

I nodded and wrapped one arm around each girl before trying to tap into my gift. I concentrated hard like I had the previous two times, and to my surprise, it worked. Everything seemed to slow down a drastic degree around me as I stood and carried the two humans upstairs to their room. I set them down on their bed, kissed Alice's forehead, then moved out of the room.

Things went back to normal the second I shut the door, at which point I blurred downstairs to rejoin my siblings. Not a second later did Carlisle and Esme walk back in with the Thorne coven following behind, much to the disdain of my siblings, especially Victoria.

The Thornes remained standing, as did Carlisle and Esme, as Jasper sent out a wave of calm to envelop the area, preventing tempers from flaring too much. Asher and Nikala noticed this and frowned in confusion for a brief moment, then their faces returned to normal.

"Hello, Cullens," Nikala said politely. "Where are the humans at?"

"We ate them," Rosalie replied. "What's it to you?"

While I didn't like the idea, I said nothing and simply watched their facial reactions. Their faces were difficult to read, however; it was almost like they were incapable of truly reacting to anything whatsoever, even Rosalie's remark, which sounded true.

"A shame we missed it," Asher remarked, smiling. "At any rate, we came to see—"

"We know why you're here," Victoria interjected. "Our answer is no. We don't want your fucking help, so beat it, and don't ever fucking come back to Washington, or I swear on my life and my sister's, I'll rip every last one of you into pieces."

By the end of her sentence, she was standing and seething mad, her eyes jet black and full of fury to the point where Jasper had to stand and hold her in place. Even with his calming power, however, he was barely able to hold Victoria in place given how strong she was.

"Is this true?" Asher asked, glancing at Carlisle. "You've chosen to turn our offer down?"

"Yes," Carlisle replied. "I'm afraid so."

"Don't take it personally," Esme said in a mock sweet voice. "We're simply more than capable of handling our own affairs, not that we don't appreciate the offer."

Nikala shook her head in disdain. "A shame, really. We would've worked well together."

"Yeah, right," Rosalie snorted. "Your reputation for betraying others makes you real good candidates for teamwork, I'm sure."

"What a load of shit," Adira, the creepy-eyed blonde, scoffed. "Is that what Victoria told you?"

"It's all lies," Cathal, the redhead, stated with a chuckle. "She's simply bitter, that's all."

"Oh?" Jasper replied, lifting an eyebrow. "Then please, fill us in on the truth."

"Years ago, Victoria was a loyal member of our coven," explained Dante, the intelligent one who could manipulate shadows, from what Victoria had told us. "She fought alongside us for many years until she started to grow detached from our group. The appearance of her sister caused her to lose focus, and she effectively betrayed us when we needed her most."

"You're deluding yourselves if that's what you think," Victoria hissed. "Don't try to lie to save face with my family, fools. They know what really happened, and they know what I said was true because I would never lie to them. You used me for my gift, and when I started to break away from your manipulated mold, you turned on me, plain and simple."

"Does it really matter?" Erykah asked. "Quit whining like a little bitch, Victoria. You're just mad that we kicked you out of our coven, that's all. It's your own fault for being pathetic and caring more about your sister who's probably dead than you did about us. We did everything for you."

"You've gone soft, Victoria," Cathal taunted. "You used to be a real killer. Now look at you."

"It's no wonder your sister left you," Adira snickered.

"Shut the hell up!" I snarled, jumping to my feet. "Don't you dare talk to my sister that way, you bitch! Who the fuck do you think you are saying those things in our house?"

Jasper sent out an even stronger wave of calm that enveloped the entire room, but it did little to keep Victoria from growling and continuing to struggle in his grip. My rage was subsided for the most part, but the others were on their feet as well, clearly waiting for someone to make a move.

"What're you going to do about it?" Adira mocked.

"I think you should leave," Esme stated firmly before I could answer. "_Now_."

Asher held his hands up. "Yes, it would seem our presence is no longer tolerable. Come along now, let's leave and go elsewhere, hmm?"

"We might as well," Nikala replied.

"Good luck finding your sister, Victoria," Cathal said sarcastically. "I hope you at least find a shred of her when you realize she's probably dead, since she's no smarter than you are."

That was the final straw for Victoria. With every strength of her being she broke free from Jasper's arms—nearly tearing them off in the process—and lunged with an opened mouth for Erykah, the nearest Thorne. The raven-haired woman narrowly dodged Victoria's attack and attempted to grab her, but Victoria moved aside and backhanded her in return.

Within seconds there were growls erupting all over the place and fists flying at lightning speed as my siblings jumped in to brawl with the Thorne coven members. The only two who didn't bother budging an inch were Nikala and Asher, who remained completely unscathed by the fighting going on around them as Jasper tried his best to calm his wife down.

I wasn't sure what to do as I watched the various brawls unfolding—a part of me wanted to join in and beat the crap out of the Thornes, but at the same time, I worried that causing too much of a ruckus would worry Alice or Cynthia, and they would come down to see what was going on.

Esme and Carlisle seemed reluctant to step in to stop the fighting, but they did so eventually and managed to halt the fighting by pulling everyone back. I reluctantly decided to join in and held Jane back, who was hissing wildly to try and claw at one of the Thornes' faces.

Poor Jasper looked like he was straining himself to keep the tempers in check, and I noticed that Esme and Carlisle were both holding onto Victoria, who was still seething were she stood. The Thornes seemed to wait for a moment before Nikala and Asher turned around to face their "children," most of whom seemed to be grinning in amusement at what just happened.

"Come along now," Nikala said. "The last thing we need to do is cause more chaos for the poor Cullens, who I'm sure would prefer we don't destroy their house."

"I think it best that this be the last time we speak," Carlisle said bluntly, the usual compassionate demeanor nearly entirely gone. "You've caused nothing but trouble for this family with your callous lack of manners and understanding, and should you return, I can't promise my wife and I will be willing to prevent our children from killing you."

"In other words, get the fuck off our property," Esme hissed, not even bothering to hide her rage.

Asher was about to reply when Adira sniffed the air. "I smell human." She licked her lips and grinned dangerously at us. "I think you were lying when you said you ate them."

"Oh dear," Asher said. "Lying to us? Why would you do such a thing?"

"We weren't lying," I growled. "Get the hell out of here."

"You weren't, were you?" Adira asked. "Let's just see, shall we?"

The second the words left her lips, my body went into panic mode, and all I could think about was her rushing upstairs and finding Alice and Cynthia. Immediately I focused on finding that strange sensation lurking in the back of my mind to try and use my gift, this time for something that was extremely important and urgent.

Adira started moving, and I frantically pleaded with whatever force lay within me to help me out, because I had to protect Alice and Cynthia from Adira and her twisted family. I _needed_ to.

_Work, damn you!_ I shouted in my head.

Just as Adira sprinted up the stairs, my gift finally kicked in, and time slowed to a complete stop, allowing me to dash like a mad woman upstairs to where Adira was. Her pale hand was slowly starting to reach for the door where Alice and Cynthia were staying, making me growl. Instantly I swatted her hand away and kneed her hard in the chest, but I wasn't done with her yet.

I grabbed her roughly by the neck and speedily dragged her ass downstairs, holding onto the sensation coursing through my body all the while. I opened the door and flung Adira out like she was a bag of trash, then slammed the door shut. My body started to feel funny, at which point I recalled Eleazar's warning about my gift still being new to me.

Realizing this, I sped over to where I'd been standing and assumed the same stance I'd been in as time reverted back to normal. The Thornes quickly appeared puzzled at the absence of Adira, who was still outside, though they didn't know that.

"Beat it," Emmett threatened, pounding his fists together.

Jasper sent out a wave of fear into the Thornes which finally got a reaction from Asher and Nikala, who scowled and hastily pushed the rest of their coven out the door. Once they were outside, Esme sped to the door and locked it shut with a low growl before returning.

"Assholes," she growled under her breath.

The tension in the room was slowly lifted as everyone sat back down. Jasper ran a hand through his hair as he poured out calmness and relaxation to ensure that no one went crazy with anger, especially his wife. Victoria seemed reluctant to sit, but she eventually did so, snuggling up to Jasper as she silently apologized to him with her eyes.

"Don't worry, darlin'," he said. "I understand your rage. Trust me."

"Why didn't you let us just kill them?" Emmett complained.

"Three reasons," Esme replied. "First off, this our house, Emmett, not an arena, and no matter how pissed off any of us may get, the last thing I need is for our things to be broken. Secondly, killing them would be a waste of time and energy. They're not worth it. And lastly, our human guests might have become worried, and they could have gotten mixed up in it."

Carlisle appraised me curiously. "Did you use your gift to throw that girl out?"

"Yeah," I replied. "But I think I'm a little worn out from using it."

"Eleazar warned you not to, dumbass," Rosalie chided.

"I couldn't let that bitch get to Alice and Cynthia," I said, shrugging. "I'm sure all I need is to hunt later and rest, and I'll probably be fine."

My words were true, but my body wasn't exactly agreeing with me in full. Everything felt heavier and tired, a sensation that meant I would need to enter my "sleep" state soon to regain my strength. I didn't want to, since I had more important things to deal with, however, which is why I would hold off on it for the time being.

That was the funny thing about being a vampire and the term "sleep": we didn't need it because we were technically dead, yet even our bodies could become fatigued over time. When our bodies reached a certain limit of fatigue, we would need to "shut down" in order to regain our strength, which never made full sense to me no matter how many times I did it.

_I can hold off for a while_, I told myself. It wasn't necessary right now—I just had to hunt, and the blood would help replenish my strength. That was the other thing about the sleep state: it wasn't mandatory for vampires to enter it in the slightest—it simply helped out.

"Someone should go see if Alice and Cynthia are alright," Esme said.

"I'll go check," I said, standing and running upstairs. I stopped at their door and knocked on it as I thought about how close Adira had come to finding them, a frightening thought.

It opened seconds later, and Alice flew out of it, crashing into my body before I could react. I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her forehead as my eyes met Cynthia's, who was looming near the doorway with obvious concern in her eyes.

"What the hell happened down there?" she asked.

"A fight broke out," I replied. "It's okay, though. We kicked them out."

"Was someone at our door?" Alice asked, looking up at me. "I saw…a brief flash of red eyes and I could've sworn someone was going to bust down our door."

I ran my hand through her hair. "I took care of her, Alice. It's okay."

"It was crazy," Alice said. "One second I had my vision, the next it's gone, and I have a vision of you coming up to check on us. That gift of yours is something else, Bella. I thought my visions glitched out on me or something."

I chuckled. "Sorry about that; it wasn't intentional."

"I'm just glad you're okay," she breathed, nuzzling into my neck.

"You can come back downstairs now," I said, lifting Alice with ease. "They won't be bothering us again, I'm sure. And if they do, they're not going to be walking away." I turned my attention to the beautiful girl in my arms. "I think you and I should cuddle on the couch for a while."

"I like the sound of that," Alice said with a gentle smile.

"Do you know how weird you look holding her like that?" Cynthia chuckled.

"Doesn't bother me," I replied, slowly walking downstairs with Alice in my arms, Cynthia following close behind. We entered the family room, and the tension was gone altogether. Emmett was playing his video games with Riley, Rosalie, and Jane, while Jasper and Victoria were gone, likely out hunting to quell their frustrations.

I sat down with Alice and lay back with her still on my chest, snuggling with her, as her sister sat down near the others to give us a bit of space. I rubbed my nose into Alice's hair and breathed in her rich scent, using it to relax my body as we fell into a comfortable silence together while watching my siblings curse and shout out threats at each other, which was always amusing.

"Damn," Alice huffed.

"What?" I asked, glancing at my girlfriend curiously. "What's wrong?"

"I glanced into the future to see what the weather would be like," she replied. "It's back to being cloudy tomorrow, which likely means we've got to go to school. Speaking of which, what's going to happen to Cynthia and I since we've left our parents? They've probably written us out of their wills or something like that by now, so…"

"Yeah, we're going back," I said, sighing. "We have to."

"What about Cynthia?" she asked.

"Cynthia gets to stay home, I'd imagine," I replied. "You were homeschooled, right, Cynthia?"

"Yup," Cynthia answered. "Our bastard father took me out of school when I got into a fight with someone over Alice, and they never let me go back. They hired professional tutors to come and teach me instead, which was even more boring. Now, though, I'd rather stay here in your kickass home and laugh at my sister for having to suffer through school."

"You stink," Alice complained, scowling at her sister.

Cynthia grinned. "It's not my fault, Alice. I got off lucky, that's all."

"You got off?" Emmett questioned with a snicker. Cynthia's cheeks reddened a little as Rosalie playfully smacked Emmett's shoulder. "What? I couldn't help myself!"

"You never can," Rosalie replied.

"Sorry, Cynthia," I snickered. "You'll have to get used to that, though. This is normal for us."

"I guess I'll have to," she mused, running a hand through her hair.

"I love it," Alice said with a smirk. "We get to live with vampires, there's always something new to learn, and the chance of danger lurking around the corner is exciting! It makes me want to be a vampire all the more, especially if it means getting to experience all of this at a new level!"

I appraised her silently for a moment. "Are you sure you want to be a vampire?"

"Of course!" she replied, meeting my eyes. "Bella, I knew I wanted it the second I found out that's what you were. How else will I be able love you and be with you all eternity? Besides, being a human stinks. It's boring and dull now that I know about vampires. I'd much rather be immortal and deal with all the bad shit that comes with it since I'd have you to help me."

"I'll talk with Carlisle and Esme about it," I said. "For you and Cynthia."

"Hell no," Alice scoffed. "Fuck her, I want immortality!"

"Excuse me?" her sister asked.

"You heard me," Alice shot back teasingly.

Cynthia jumped up. "Bella, would you be a dear and throw my sister off of you so I can tickle her, please? I think she needs to be taught a lesson."

Alice snuggled further into me. "Nope, my Bella will protect me from you, evil sister. Your wicked plans to torture me have been thwarted!" She giggled like a school girl. "So why don't you sit down and go back to staring into space, okay?"

Cynthia scowled in frustration as I laughed. "I love you, Alice," I said, pressing my lips to hers.

"I love you too," she replied, smirking at me.

"Unfortunately, I love torturing you more," I replied, speedily scooping her up and setting her on her feet as Cynthia practically pounced at her. Alice squealed and started sprinting through our house with her sister hot on her heels and the rest of us laughed, especially Emmett.

I knew Alice would be pissed at me for it, but it'd be worth it in the end. And as I stood up to help Cynthia torment her sister, a thought crossed my mind: with Alice as a part of the family, we'd always know whenever trouble would be coming, including Edward.

Since Edward was after both Alice and me, that meant he had double the reason to come after us now, and when he did, she would see him coming. With her gift, not even Edward could stop her from knowing when he'd make his plans, and if she were to become a vampire, her gift would become even stronger leaving Edward completely outmatched.

I grinned as I pinned Alice's arms down. "I'm really starting to enjoy this."

"You bitches!" Alice cursed as Cynthia started tickling her mercilessly, causing her to howl with laughter as her legs thrashed about wildly.

I leaned down to kiss her forehead. "When this is over, we'll cuddle more, I promise."

"That's_ if_ I decide to stop," Cynthia crooned. "This is too much fun!"

I giggled as Alice continued to shriek in laughter. Having her around was definitely interesting.

**A/N: Ah, tickling. I hate being tickled. Don't you?**

**Anyways, the Thorne saga continues. Will they be back? Chances are, they probably will, but in what capacity? I'll leave that to your imaginations. **

**Now, my question to ask those of you who indulge me in replying...hmm...ah. I have two. One, how do you picture Amara when you read her? Like, do you see her as a specific actress or something else entirely? And two; how many of you are true Amara fans and what do you like most about her? I'm asking out of curiosity because I've often wondered what qualities people like most about her. It helps for me to know so I know how to develop her when I can, such as in my book, for instance.**

**Thank you to anyone who reviews and has reviewed in the past, I appreciate it more than I'm able to show. On a side note, I'm actually amazed at how close to a thousand this story has gotten. It's pretty cool, I think, and it gives me a mild confidence boost despite a few changes that have befallen me since I stopped updating. I only wish more of my old readers were still with me. Ah well, such is life. Until next time, folks. **


	38. Idle Threats

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight saga characters, Meyer does. I own my characters and my ideas. Does Cynthia count in there, I wonder?**

**Idle Threats**

"Do we have to go to school today?" Alice whined, pouting adorably as she rested her head on my stomach, gazing up at me. "I'd rather just stay here and snuggle with you."

We'd already gotten ready to go to school, but there was still a good hour left before my family would be leaving, so I was up in my room with Alice. I smiled at my girlfriend and gently combed a hand through her silky short hair, chuckling as I did.

"Unfortunately, yes, we do," I said. "We have to keep up appearances. It surprises me that the humans haven't really noticed the little things about us that hint at what we are. We're pale, we don't go to school in the sun, we're rich, and there are pairings in our family, something I know many people would question. Still, we need to go."

"Damn," she grumbled.

I pulled her closer and kissed her cheek. "Trust me, I'd love nothing more than to stay here, snuggle, and talk with you, but we have to keep this up for a little while longer. Once school's over, we're free for a good while. You can definitely look forward to that."

She nodded in agreement, but still pouted. "My lucky sister gets to stay home, I hear."

"That she does," I replied, snickering. "Esme will be teaching her since she's been given the day off at the hospital. She'll still have homework, she just won't have to deal with all the wondrous joys of actual school like you and I will."

She sighed quietly and closed her eyes. "Tell me something, Bella."

"Yes?" I asked.

"What do you really think about me becoming a vampire?" she asked.

"It's a big decision to make because you can't undo it," I replied. "It's a one way trip. For some of us, we never had the chance to choose, but we've all come to terms with that fact, and we enjoy our immortal lives. Rosalie is probably the one who misses being human the most, but even she's grown attached to being a vampire. You may or may not feel the same way, though."

"Why wouldn't I?" she asked, her eyes shimmering. "I'll be with the woman of my dreams, my sister, and the loving family I've always wanted. What bad could possibly come from that?"

"I'm not saying it'll be bad, Alice," I said. "I'm merely stating that there are a lot of drawbacks to being a vampire, some of which you have yet to learn about. The bloodlust is definitely the biggest one. Even now, I still sometimes struggle with mine, and I've been mentally training myself for years. Your appearance helped, but it's still there. It always will be."

"You're worried my tune might change if I kill someone," Alice said. "Is that it?"

I nodded slowly. "Yes, that's…one of the things."

Alice smiled warmly at me. "Bella, I don't care if I kill someone. It might bother me a bit if it happens, sure, but to be honest with you, I'd much rather struggle with bloodlust than take the easy way out. I'll never learn if that happens, and plus, I'd hate to be the only person aside from Carlisle to never take a life. I'd feel…weird."

I lifted an eyebrow. "You do realize the oddness of your statement, yes?"

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"You just admitted that you _want _to feed on humans," I remarked, smiling at the underlying irony of her comment—I knew what she was getting at, but I felt the need to tease her a bit, although I was genuinely curious to her thought process.

Alice blinked rapidly. "I…wait, no, that's not…um…I mean…fuck…you know what I mean!"

I giggled and kissed her. "I do know, yes. I was just teasing. In all seriousness, learning to control your wild side will be difficult, but I'll be there to help you as best as I can. And if all else fails, you could live off a human blood diet. I wouldn't tell anyone, nor would I care. The simple knowledge that I would have you for eternity is really all that would matter to me."

Alice appraised me. "You…you would let me feed on humans?"

"Yes," I replied. "I would keep it between just us, although I know no one else would care. You would still be welcome here, and they'd treat you the same regardless. To be brutally honest with you, there are times when I've considered it because I slipped up so much. But I know if I did, most of my family would join me without a question. They've done it before, in fact."

"They did?" Alice asked.

"There was one time years ago when I accidentally lost it and killed a person when I was out hunting with Rosalie," I admitted. "Rosalie killed the other person without saying a word. She, Jane, and Victoria have all killed humans when I did to make me feel better so I wouldn't be alone. And they've all told me they'd change if I ever chose to."

I stroked her cheek. "All I'm saying is that you won't be alone in this, Alice. I'll always be there for you, even if it means feeding on humans. You'll have the power to choose in the end, and we can always switch back whenever you wish, too."

Alice soaked my words in and kissed my cheek. "I'm not sure yet because I'm not a vampire, but thank you, Bella. It means a lot to hear you say that to me, especially the fact that you'd willingly kill humans alongside me if I ever chose that path."

"Good," I replied. "Now, let's change the subject to something less death-oriented, shall we?"

"Agreed," Alice giggled.

There was a knock at the door at that moment, and Esme poked her head inside. "Hello girls," she greeted us with a smile. "I hate to interrupt whatever moment you're having, but I'm afraid it's time for you to get going to school."

"Yes, Esme," we said in unison, bursting into giggles directly afterwards. Esme chuckled and closed my door as we groaned, once again perfectly in sync with one another.

After a moment, we headed downstairs holding hands, meeting up with the others. Cynthia was in the family room watching TV, turning to smirk at her sister, who in turn stuck her tongue out. The rest of us chuckled at the humorous scene before we made our way out the door, splitting up to take two different cars. Alice and I got carpooled with Emmett and Rosalie.

"So how's the romance going?" Rosalie inquired as Emmett drove.

"Good," I replied, glancing at my smiling human. "We're making steady progress."

Emmett snickered. "Yeah, but I bet you two haven't done anything other than make out."

I frowned. "Why is that your business, big brother?"

"It isn't," Rosalie said, rolling her eyes.

"What?" he whined. "I'm just trying to help my little sister get laid, that's all. And why exactly are you the "little sister"? You're older than I am, so shouldn't you be the older sister? Or are we basing this off height? I've always wondered…"

"I don't think Bella likes to be thought of as old," Rosalie chuckled.

"That's not the point," I interjected calmly. "Em, I get what you're trying to do, and I appreciate it to a degree, but not everybody can jump on the sex bandwagon like you and Rose did. And don't lie and say you didn't, because we all know you did. Besides…" I lowered my voice so only they could hear. "She's a human and I could hurt her if we ever tried."

"You should do something kinky with her," Emmett said, clearly unfazed by my comments. His overgrown grin was proof enough of that fact.

I ran a hand through my hair. "Ugh, I give up for now."

Alice giggled next to me. "I wouldn't be opposed to…experimenting."

My eyes widened and I turned to eye her, noting the smirk her lips were curled into. "You…"

"I mean it," she said, winking. "I'm not saying we have to do anything too hasty, but you don't have to be afraid to try things with me, Bella. I'm openly curious, after all. Besides, have you ever lived in a house where masturbating was considered wrong? My parents aren't even religious, and they felt that way, not that I'm against religious people, but, you know…"

Emmett turned around and shook his head. "You've got my sympathies, Alice."

"Thanks," she giggled.

I was baffled—and a little excited—at her remarks. "Um, well…"

"Poor Belly-Button," Rosalie laughed. "Left speechless by her girlfriend. I guess you'll be the whipped one in the relationship after all. And here I thought it'd be the other way around."

"Now just a damn minute," I said, scowling. "I'm not 'whipped' in any way, shape or form unlike the two of you, nor do I ever intend to be."

I turned to Alice and immediately pressed my lips to hers, kissing her passionately as my tongue shot out to graze her bottom lip. Alice's heart fluttered and she moaned as I cupped her cheeks, gently moving my tongue inside her mouth and swirling around, reveling in the intense flavor that was pure Alice. When I pulled away, Alice looked dazed, a sight that made me smirk.

"That, my dear, is but a portion of what I can do to you," I said. "Don't you forget it."

I turned back to my siblings, both of whom had huge shit-eating grins on their faces. "Nice job, Bella," Emmett crooned, giving me a thumbs up. "I knew you could do it."

"I guess I'll have to take back my comment," Rosalie said. "For now, at least."

I snorted. "Bitch, I'll prove you wrong without a doubt, just you wait."

"Jeez, Bella, when did you become so feisty all of a sudden?" Rosalie asked.

I cocked my head to one side and considered her question, realizing I had no idea what suddenly brought on the change in my demeanor. I turned to Alice, who was appraising me in awe, and realized it was likely an effect only Alice would have on me.

"I have no clue," I admitted. "The point is, I'll take your words to heart. And Alice, I—"

She cut me off with a kiss, one that I easily settled into and returned. We continued making out until we got to school, at which point I pulled away, giving her the chance to catch her breath. Nothing could make us wipe the grins off our faces as we got out of Emmett's jeep, not even the guffawing of my siblings, which earned them confused looks from the others.

Alice and I laced our fingers together and headed towards school without saying a word, our eyes locked the entire time. Soon enough we had to pull apart, however, and head to our first class of the day as the bell rang rather obnoxiously.

I thought about my reaction in the car earlier and wondered if it was part of the whole "mate" thing, something I didn't know about because I'd never experienced it. It wasn't that big of a deal right now, but it was definitely food for thought. I set my thoughts to something a bit more important: the knowledge that, within three weeks, I would have a chance to catch Edward.

Victoria sat next to me and English soon began, though my thoughts were elsewhere. Occasionally I would glance at what my sister was doing, smiling at how she amused herself by playing with her hair or pencil, but then I would drift back into my thoughts. Normally my sister and I would be talking, but we both had a lot on our minds this time.

Just as class ended, however, Victoria placed her hand on my shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," I replied, offering her a pleasant smile in thanks. "What about you?"

She sighed. "Doing better, I suppose. The thing with the Thornes rattled me a little and I know that won't be the last we see of them. They don't give up on their objectives easily, and given how we reacted to their presence, they'll likely begin antagonizing us."

"We'll be ready for them when they do," I said. "We've got a secret weapon, after all."

"True," Victoria replied. "But if they find out about said secret weapon, things will become even more complicated. Nikala has a habit of wanting vampires with gifts in her coven, much like the Volturi. I've heard stories of several vampires that used to be in the coven but were either kicked out or killed because they didn't meet Nikala's standards."

"I won't let them take Alice," I growled quietly. "Or Cynthia, for that matter."

Victoria smiled as the bell rang and we exited class together. "Don't worry, I won't either. You've grown fairly close to them, haven't you?"

"Of course," I replied. "Alice is my mate, what do you expect? As far as Cynthia goes, I like her a lot. She's really cool and protective of Alice, which scores her bonus points with me. I think they'll fit in nicely with our family once a decision has been made in that area."

"Jazz and I were talking about it before, actually," Victoria said. "You should go see Jenks and have the old fool write up adoption forms for the two of them."

I considered her advice for a moment and nodded. "Actually, that's not a bad idea. You two should come with me, though. You know how to deal with Jenks better than I do. Besides, I don't like the way he tends to stare at me whenever I see him. It's creepy."

"Speaking of creepy," Victoria said. "I do believe your stalker is back."

I frowned and looked at her curiously until I realized who she meant. "Oh God," I groaned, sneaking a speedy glance over my shoulder to see good old Mike Newton trailing behind us with his eyes fixed on me, scowling at something. "Does this boy ever learn? I swear, no matter how many times you tell him no, he just doesn't know how to listen."

"You should tell Alice," Victoria suggested. "She could kick his ass."

_Not a bad idea_, I thought to myself, smirking. Victoria and I ended up parting ways at that point and we went to our next classes, which I dreaded because I wasn't looking forward to dealing with Mike Newton for a whole fucking hour and a half. Then again, I tended to be a little hard on the guy, but at the same time, he couldn't take "no" for an answer.

As I expected, when I sat down in class, Mike sat next to me. But for once, he didn't automatically speak to me, though I was aware that he was looking at me. After a minute of silence, Mike cleared his throat and I, for whatever reason, looked at him out of the corner of my eyes, wondering what nonsense he had to say today.

"There are rumors about you," Mike said in a low voice. "Did you know that?"

"I wouldn't have guessed," I deadpanned. "You wouldn't be behind them, would you?"

He looked offended. "What? No way! I would never start rumors about you!"

_Yeah, right_, I replied in my head as I eyed him with disinterest, remembering what happened last week with him and Alice. "Shouldn't you, oh, I don't know, not be speaking to me? Was getting your ass handed to you be Alice Brandon not enough?"

"I'm not going to ask you out," he grumbled in response and I thought I'd actually been hearing things. "They have to do with her, though, and you, too." He narrowed his eyes accusingly at me like I'd committed a crime, but I was too shocked that he admitted to not wanting to ask me out to really care much. "Are you two…dating?"

His question snapped me out of my thoughts. "Now where would you hear that?"

"Around," he replied. "Is it true?"

"Does it matter?" I asked. "Yes, we're dating. Big deal."

"It's a very big deal!" he shouted, grabbing the attention of the other students in the classroom, whom I ignored. "Bella…that would make you…"

"Gay?" I asked. "Why yes, it would, because it's true."

"That explains everything," he muttered under his breath, glaring at me. "Why didn't you tell me this before? If I'd known I'd be wasting my time, I would have never bothered with you!"

I rolled my eyes. "If only. Leave it alone, Mike. Don't bother me."

He remained silent afterwards, instead glaring down at his desk even after class started. For once, I was actually happy to sit next to him because I didn't have to listen to him constantly whine and try to get me to go out with him. I could tell the news of my being gay had taken him by surprise, but it mattered little to me in the end.

Class went on as it normally did until the bell rang and I left to meet up with Riley as we headed to Spanish. We talked a little about Newton being a nuisance, but again, I mostly kept quiet, lost in thought about everything that had happened in the past few days and everything that would happen in the not-too-distant future.

At long last, the chance I'd been waiting for arrived when the class bell sounded and I dashed out of the classroom, Riley following behind me with an amused smile on his face. But when I reached the hall, I caught sight of Rosalie leaning against the wall, scowling.

"What's wrong?" I asked as Riley and I stopped.

"We have a problem," she said in a low voice.

"Let me guess…the Brandons," Riley replied.

"Unfortunately," Rosalie replied.

"Where?" I asked. "Here?"

"Outside," Rosalie said, motioning us on. The three of us started speed walking—at a reasonable enough pace—to the front of the school, Rosalie sighing. "They've been out there for a while and I overheard them asking a student about you. Apparently they want to have a word with you and it doesn't sound like they're here for idle chit-chat."

"They're here to cause more trouble, no doubt," Riley remarked.

I snorted. "I couldn't care less. What are they going to do about it? Sue us?"

Rosalie chuckled. "That would be an entertaining sight to behold. Personally, I still think we should just kill them. It'd be so much easier that way and besides, who would miss them?"

"No one I can name," I replied as we exited the building.

Alice and Cynthia's parents were indeed in the parking lot standing under a tree, glancing about for any sign of me or perhaps their daughter. They saw the three of us moments later and jumped to their feet faster than I thought possible before making their way towards us.

"Cullen," Mrs. Brandon hissed, crossing her arms in dismay. "How good of you to come when you've been summoned." Her eyes narrowed into slits. "Do you have any idea what you've done to us, you mindless little…" She paused when Rosalie growled next to me and smartly halted her response, though her anger remained. "Where are our daughters?"

"I'm pretty sure you relinquished your right to call them that," I said dryly.

"They're _our_ daughters," Mr. Brandon growled. "_We_ own them and I demand that you release them from whatever cell you've confined them to so they can come back home!"

"You own them?" Rosalie questioned. "What the fuck kind of parents say they own their children in such a cold, callous way? And for the record, that shit-hole you call a home is more of a prison than ours will ever be. Alice and Cynthia are delighted to be living with us and why wouldn't they be? We've got the best fucking house in all of Forks."

"You have no right to keep them there," Mr. Brandon barked, ignoring her remarks. "We'll have our lawyers come down on your family faster than you can blink unless you give them and their things, which we know _you_ stole, back."

"We're not keeping them there," I said. "They're staying with us because they chose to. We would never keep anyone against their will in our home. Besides, they're better off with us since then they don't have to deal with your tyranny, _especially_ Alice."

"I can speak for myself." We all turned to see Alice hovering near the entryway to the school before she slowly walked towards us, coming to stand by my side. I laced my fingers around hers and gave them a gentle squeeze of reassurance, smirking at the glares I received from her idiotic parents. "I'm not coming home, Mother, Father. Ever. And neither is Cynthia."

"Mary Brandon, stop this nonsense!" her father ordered. "You're our daughter and you belong with us, not the _Cullens_. Have you learned nothing over the course of your life?"

"I've learned that you two are heartless, spineless assholes," Alice replied. "You're not true parents; you're controlling barbarians who deserve to be thrown in jail for the things you've done to me throughout my life. You don't deserve to call yourselves parents, either. You're scum, nothing more, nothing less. I'm never coming back to your shitty home, so deal with it.

"And another thing: I may not be one of them, but the Cullens have been kinder to Cynthia and me over the course of several days than either of you have been throughout our entire lives. Plus, I love Bella. She's my girlfriend and she means the world to me." Her eyes flickered to mine, pulsing with love. "Not to mention the fact that she's saved my life in more ways than one."

Her parents looked utterly baffled by her response and I couldn't stop myself from grinning ear to ear, pride swelling up within me at my girlfriend's awesomeness. Even Rosalie was smirking, clearly impressed with Alice for what she'd done.

"I don't care what either of you want," Alice said. "Leave us alone and go fuck yourselves."

She turned, kissed me on the lips, then strutted off with her arms crossed, not even bothering to give her parents a chance to react. Once she was gone, I glanced at the Brandons' faces, absorbing the shock etched into their eyes for a good minute before they sobered up and scowled angrily at nothing in particular, though I know their anger was directed mostly at me.

"We're done here," I said. "Goodbye, Brandons. I hope I never see you again."

"You brainwashed our daughters!" Mrs. Brandon shouted. "You'll pay for this!"

"No, we won't," Rosalie replied, wrapping one arm around me. "Let's go."

The three of us walked inside, heading to the cafeteria to meet up with the others. We ran into Alice midway there and I wrapped my free arm around her as we entered the cafeteria, where there was a mass explosion of chattering going on for some odd reason. However, most of the chattering stopped the second we walked in.

"Odd," Riley remarked quietly as we sat down at our usual table, where the others were busy doing their own thing. "What's all the commotion about?"

"Didn't you hear?" Victoria asked. "The gossip table is at it again. They're having a field day with the knowledge that Alice is a lesbian and Bella's girlfriend."

"How nice of them," Alice deadpanned.

"What do you expect?" Jane asked. "These peons have nothing else to yak about."

"What kinds of things have they been saying?" I inquired.

"The usual shit," Victoria replied. "Mike Newton is at the center of a good portion of it. He's so bitter that he lost you to Alice that he's been relentlessly insulting her, spreading all kinds of lies that most of the students are starting to believe."

I rolled my eyes. "Let the bitter pansy vent. His word means nothing to me."

"I suppose I'll have to get used to being on the enemy list," Alice joked, shaking her head.

"You say that as if it's happened before," I remarked, frowning.

Alice rested her head on my shoulder. "It has. Constantly. I've gotten used to it, though, especially now that I have you with me. Besides, I'm better than all those dipshits anyways, so why do I care what they think? They'll find something new to gossip about soon enough."

"True," I chuckled. "Aren't you going to eat, Alice?"

"I'm not that hungry," she replied with a giggle. "Your mom made us such a huge breakfast, I haven't even been able to glance at food. Actually, I did want to talk with you about something, if that's cool. We can come right back afterwards until lunch is over."

"Sure," I said, intrigued by what she wanted to talk about. I ignored the grin Emmett shot me as we stood and exited the lunchroom with ninety percent of the cafeteria glaring at our backs as we exited. "What's up, Alice? How come you didn't want to talk in there?"

"Too noisy," she replied, wrapping her arms around my waist. "I also had a vision of us standing here talking because I have a feeling what I'm going to say isn't going to go over well."

I furrowed my brow. "And why might that be?"

"I…received an invitation to go with several nice students to the beach," Alice said. "It was an invitation from Angela Weber. She clearly knew I was with you, but she didn't care. She said I could invite you and your family to come, which is what I'm doing right now, although I know what your answer will be without even needing to ask."

I kissed her forehead. "By beach, do you mean…?"

"La Push," she replied.

The name brought a bad taste to my mouth and I ran a hand through my hair. "Ah, yes, La Push."

"That's what I figured," Alice murmured. "Tell me…how come you don't like La Push?"

"It's a bit complicated," I said, looking around. "It's not so much that I dislike La Push as it is that my family and I don't see eye to eye with a handful of the Native Americans living there, the Quileutes. They don't care for us and we don't care for them, which led to a treaty being formed between us, as they know what we are and vice versa."

"What are they?" Alice questioned. I made the decision to tell her so she would see in a vision, which she did moments later when she zoned out for a minute and a half. "Oh." She blinked rapidly. "That's…different."

"You see my point, at least," I said. "Don't let that make you not go, though. If you want to have fun with other humans, by all means, I think you should. You and Cynthia, too, in fact. It'd be good for the two of you to be around your own kind, as long as you both understand that you have to keep quiet about your knowledge of the Quileutes."

She nodded. "I promise I won't say a word. But Bella…aren't you going to tell me not to go?"

"Part of me wants to, but I'm not your master," I said, stroking her cheek. "You have the right to do whatever you want, Alice. I think it could be fun, honestly. I'll just miss you like crazy. By the way, when is this little event going down?"

"This weekend," she replied. "Saturday, to be specific. I tried to see how long it would be, but I couldn't get much of a reading, for some reason. I guess it's to be expected because it hasn't happened yet." She smiled warmly at me. "Thank you, Bella. Hearing that you're willing to let me go means quite a bit. I think I will go because I'm kind of intrigued by the Quileutes now."

I chuckled. "So you're going just to learn more about them?"

"No," she replied, sticking her tongue out. "I have other reasons, that one is just…up there."

"Uh huh," I replied, leaning in to kiss her. "Alright, come on, let's get back in there."

"You going to tell your siblings?" she asked.

"If you want me to, yeah," I replied. "Their reactions will be much more entertaining than mine."

Alice giggled and latched her hand around mine. "I'm sure they will be, although I have to admit, I was a little surprised that you didn't react the way I thought you would."

"What did you expect me to do?" I asked. "Demolish your car so you wouldn't be able to go out into public? Come now, Alice, I may be a little possessive of you, but I'm not controlling for crying out loud." I shook my head. "Controlling people are assholes, like your parents. I can't stand those kinds of people. They're mindless fools."

"Agreed," Alice said. "That's why I'm glad you're so much cooler than they are. Then again, you're cooler just because—" She suddenly stopped talking and I glanced at her to see that she was having a vision. She froze in place and I patiently waited for her to come out of her vision state, noticing the expression on her face change into one of horror.

"Alice?" I asked.

"No!" she screamed, flailing about and nearly falling backwards. I caught her, though.

"What's wrong?" I asked, pulling her close. "What did you see?"

She blinked and clutched me. "We need to go, now! I just saw Cynthia going into town and getting into a car accident, then someone took her!"

I helped her up immediately. "When and where?"

"I don't know, but it's going to happen soon," she breathed. "Please, Bella, we have to go!"

"I'll be back," I said, speedily moving into the cafeteria, ignoring everything and everyone else around me until I got to the table. "Em, I need your keys, _now_. Cynthia's in danger."

Emmett wordlessly reached into his pocket and tossed me his keys. "Go."

I nodded, whipped around and sped out the door at a speed as human as I could, then scooped Alice into my arms and dashed down the hall. Once we were outside near Emmett's jeep, I opened the door and set Alice down before practically blurring into the driver's seat. I had the engine going just as Alice buckled up.

As I reversed and drove off, Alice began dialing her cell phone, intent on making sure that nothing happened to Alice's sister.

**A/N: Drama, drama, drama...**

**Thanks for the interesting responses to the previous chapter questions. They helped me in seeing what people felt about Amara. :)**

**I have a new question, naturally, but this one is one I'm hoping to get more responses out of, because they'll help me a great deal. My question is this: say I do get my novel published and you buy it, read it and enjoy it. One of my ideas concerning the series is that I am considering writing shorter books centered around side characters whose importance will grow as the series continues. They'll look into certain aspects of these characters in a way that will add depth to them and give you, the reader, a better understanding of who they are, what they go through, etc. Anyways, my question is would you be interested in such a thing?**

**Think how Meyer did that Bree Tanner story, only the characters featured will be featured more prominently in my story (in other words, it's not going to be about every single side character I throw in, only the important ones or ones who will become more important, but you'll be more likely to remember who they are when you see their name without having to go back and check). Please let me know, the more opinions I have, the better of an idea I'll have when I continue my novel writing. Thank you.**


	39. Stalker

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight saga or its characters, Meyer does. I own my characters and ideas.**

**Stalker**

"Cynthia!" Alice shouted into her phone. "Don't leave the house!"

I could hear Cynthia's responses quite clearly. _"Alice, I already left. I was going into town for a bit to get some air and help the Cullens out by making a list of our favorite foods, so—"_

"Listen to me!" Alice interjected. "Cynth, you need to pull over and stop driving. I saw a vision of you getting into an accident and then someone dragged you away. Please, Cynthia, stop driving and wait for Bella and me to get to you."

"_An accident?"_ she questioned. _"Alice, I—"_

"I'm begging you, Cynthia, _please_," Alice whimpered, straining her voice.

Cynthia was silent for a moment. _"Alright, I'm pulling over. I'll wait for you here."_

"Thank you," Alice whispered, closing her phone.

"Where is she?" I asked.

"She's in town now, but she pulled over," Alice replied, shaking in her seat from fear to the point where I reached over and squeezed her hand to reassure her. She offered me a tiny smile. "I'll let you know when I see her."

I nodded and pressed on the gas, speeding into town until we caught sight of Cynthia's car. I swerved around and turned before coming to a stop behind Cynthia's car. Both Alice and I jumped out, Alice practically tackling her sister when Cynthia stepped out of her car. Cynthia caught her and hugged her tightly as I surveyed the area.

"Where was this going to take place?" I questioned.

"Around this area," Alice replied.

Cynthia soothed her sister's worries. "I'm okay, Ali. I'm okay. What did you see, exactly?"

"I saw a dark brown car nearly run you off the road," Alice replied. "You got out of the way to avoid it just in the nick of time, but you crashed into a streetlight. It wasn't a severe crash, but before you could really do much of anything, another car hit you and the next thing I saw was you being dragged into the car when there was no one else around."

I looked around for the car in question and saw none. "I don't see anyone around."

"I can't give too many details," Alice admitted. "It happened so fast…"

I came and placed my hand on her shoulder as Cynthia hugged her. "It's alright, Alice," I said. "We managed to call her before it happened, so everything's fine."

Alice nodded, but then her eyes glazed over for a brief few seconds. "WATCH OUT!"

Before I could ask what she meant, I heard the sound of screeching wheels and turned to see a car speeding towards us. I reacted instinctively by grabbing Cynthia and Alice and moving them out of the way, fast enough to avoid the car as it smashed into Cynthia's vehicle.

"Holy shit!" Cynthia cursed as I pulled the girls behind me, glaring down the vehicle as it started to reverse, likely trying to get away.

Using my speed, I moved in close to the driver's side and bashed the window open before grabbing the driver and yanking him out of his car with barely any effort. It was a fairly tall man wearing all black, including a ski mask to cover his face. He grimaced and groaned as he hit the ground and I pressed my foot onto his throat.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I snarled.

Alice sprinted over and kicked the man in the side before he could respond. "YOU SON OF A FUCKING BITCH!" she screamed as she started kicking him repeatedly in the face with more viciousness than I thought possible coming from her. "YOU TRIED TO KILL MY SISTER!"

I removed my foot from the man's throat and watched in astonishment as Alice proceeded to beat the living shit out of him, unable—and unwilling—to even bother trying to stop her. Even Cynthia seemed taken aback, though she herself joined in soon enough. I waited a few minutes until the man was begging for mercy, then gently pulled the girls off him.

I ripped the ski mask off to reveal the bruised face of a younger guy that I didn't recognize. "Who are you and why were you trying to hurt them?" I growled, glaring him down.

He coughed and grimaced. "I…I…was just doing what I was paid to do!" he whined.

"And what is that, exactly?" I demanded.

"He told me to run that chick off the road, then take her with me to his place!" he replied. "I swear to God, I wouldn't have hurt her! I swear!"

Alice kicked him in the stomach, causing him to groan in pain. "Who? Who, damn it?"

"I…I don't know his name!" the kid whimpered. "He had scraggly blonde hair and a weird grin and said that…that some girl needed to learn a lesson. He paid me a hundred bucks to do this…and promised to pay for the damages. That's all I know, please!"

"James," Alice breathed, stunned. A snarl tore from my lips at the mentioning of the name.

I growled and grabbed the guy by the throat. "Where's his place at?"

He cowered and gave me the address, as well as the money he'd been paid and the fifty dollars he had in his wallet. I then told him we would be calling the police and threatened him into telling them everything that happened, at which point Cynthia called the police to inform them that someone had nearly killed her, her sister and me.

I got back into Emmett's jeep and told Alice to stay with her sister, anger swirling in my chest at the knowledge that the irritating little bastard James was behind the attack on Cynthia. I knew in my heart that it was meant not only to get to Alice, but to me as well.

"Son of a bitch," I growled, grabbing my cell phone to call Esme.

"_Hello?" _Esme answered.

"Esme, are you busy?" I asked.

"_No, not at the moment,"_ she replied. _"What's wrong, dear? Did something happen?"_

"I'll explain it later," I replied, biting my lip. "Do you think you could come downtown and meet up with Alice and Cynthia? I don't want to leave them alone right now."

"_Of course,"_ she answered. _"I'm on my way. Where are you going?"_

"To deal with a parasite," I growled before hanging up.

I waited a few minutes, then drove off in Emmett's jeep to the location the foolish boy had coughed up, just as the police arrived on the scene, in fact. Knowing Esme would be there soon relaxed me a tad, but it did little to quell my anger as I sped down the road, further into town until I came to a relatively worn down looking apartment building.

The second I stepped out of the jeep, I caught wind of his disgusting scent. Hissing, I looked around rapidly, then sprinted into the building, moving as quietly as I could to not to make a sound and announce my presence. I followed his scent to the top floor of the apartment, where I came across a locked door, the room he was in, no doubt.

I pounded on the door with one hand, nearly breaking it in half in the process. I heard movement on the other side, confirming that James was there. I just knew it.

"What is it?" he growled from the other hand. "What do you want?"

"It's Alice," I lied, mimicking Alice's voice perfectly.

"A-Alice?" he sputtered, immediately swinging the door open only for his look of glee to become one of shock and, seconds after, horror, when he realized it was me.

"Surprise, douchebag," I growled, kicking him square in the chest—holding back nearly all my strength so he wouldn't die, though the blow sent him flying backwards. I walked inside his stinky room and froze when I saw the walls. Every wall had a photo of Alice, some with her looking at the camera, others without. My jaw fell open.

James groaned and clutched his chest. "How did you…find me?"

I didn't respond to him and instead scanned his walls, noting each and every single photo, a number of which looked like they'd been taken without her knowledge. Then I caught sight of one picture in particular that made my blood boil; it was one of Alice stepping into her room wearing only her underwear. And it looked like it'd been taken from the other side of a window.

I ripped the photo off the wall and instantly, James got to his feet. "What the hell are you doing?"

I reeled on him and grabbed him by the throat, gripping it tightly as he struggled for air. "What's the meaning of these?" I hissed, jabbing the picture in his face. "You're taking photos of her when she doesn't know, you sick fucker. I should break every bone in your damned body for stalking her like that and for trying to kill her sister!"

"I…wasn't trying…to kill…her…" he choked out. "I just wanted…to kidnap her…"

"That's not much better," I hissed.

I tried in vain to peel my hand off him as his heartbeat quickened. "I wasn't…going…to hurt her, I just…wanted Alice…to come…back…"

I pulled his disgusting face closer to me. "She'll _**never **_go back to you, do you hear me? You don't deserve her, you bastard. No one threatens the love of my life or my family, and you did just that. That's crossing the line, asshole." I threw him across the room and crumpled the photo into my hand as I sauntered towards him. "You need to be taught a lesson."

James gasped as he rubbed his throat. "What are you going to do…?" he asked fearfully.

I smiled darkly. "Things you'll never be able to forget, James Witherdale."

He held his hands up and started feebly scooting away from me. "Wait, please! I'll…I'll leave her alone, I swear! I won't go near her or come after her ever again!"

"You're lying to me, James," I said in a low voice. "I can tell."

He swallowed roughly, then licked his lips. "You're right. I am lying. She's my girl, you fucking whore, not yours. You stole her from me." He leapt into the next room and scrambled for something, which I soon saw was a gun. He pointed it at me and grinned evilly. "You think you're so smart, don't you, bitch? Just because you're strong? Bullshit! I'm a man, damn it!

"Men are stronger than women! Men are smarter than women! I won't be bossed around by some albino bitch!" He moved closer to me, keeping the gun pointed at me the whole time, though I was neither afraid nor concerned in the slightest. I was more amused than anything, especially at his ridiculous, sexist tirade.

"Ooh, I'm terrified," I taunted, rolling my eyes. "Get real, fool."

"Don't talk down to me!" he snarled. "Alice is _**mine**_! She has been for years, and she always will be, do you hear me? Her parents promised her to me and I don't intend to let that promise go away _ever_! She's going to become my wife and my maid, do whatever I ask her, whenever I ask it! No one's going to take that from me!"

_Now he's starting to piss me off_, I growled in my head. "Listen you chauvinist prick, Alice has a right to choose what she wants in her life, and that includes the person she loves. Right now, that's me and if that should ever change, I'll let her go. You, on the other hand, are a worthless piece of shit like her parents and you don't deserve her."

In truth, I knew Alice would never leave me. The bond between mates was unbreakable; nothing could change it, not even another vampire's gift. It was impossible in every sense of the word to alter the bond between mates. It could only grow stronger. But James wouldn't understand that given his limited intelligence and clear obsession with Alice. One that needed to be halted.

"Put the gun down, James," I said, growing irritated. "Shooting me won't do you any good."

"Is that what you think?" he asked, laughing. "I disagree, Cullen! Shooting you will do more good than you can possibly imagine. Think about it! If you die and there's no proof I was behind it, then Alice will become depressed and need a shoulder to cry on. That's where I come in. I become her knight in shining armor and save her from her misery, and then she becomes mine."

"And what if she doesn't?" I asked.

He twitched ever so slightly. "I _make_ her."

I could no longer hold my anger in anymore and lunged for him at full speed, crashing into his body with enough force to send him flying once again, this time into the wall. He collided into the wall and grunted, but it wasn't enough to stop him from pulling the trigger and shooting.

Using my reflexes, I dodged the bullet at a slightly inhuman pace and managed to grab his right wrist, which I immediately snapped, causing James to howl in pain as the weapon dropped from his hand to the floor. The gun was a mere toy in my eyes, but the less James saw of my true nature, the better, even though I was sorely tempted to kill him here and now.

_No one will miss him_, I thought. _He's worthless, anyways._

My inner animal growled and I felt my throat start to burn. I glared the cowardly human down as he clutched his wrist, looking around for some way to escape. There was none, however. He wouldn't be able to escape from me.

"I think it's time to end this once and for all," I growled, crouching down.

"W-w-wait!" James said, waving his other hand in front of his face. "I-I-I was just kidding!"

I sneered at him. "Not going to work, fool."

Just as I was about to lunge for him, the door flew open. "Bella, stop!" I froze in place and peered over my shoulder to see Alice, Jasper and Rosalie enter the room. Alice rushed to my side and wrapped her arms around me. "Please. He's not worth it, Bella. Don't do this. I know you're angry, but this isn't you." Her eyes blazed intensely as I licked my lips.

"Alice, look around you," I said, pointing to the walls.

"I saw," Alice replied, refusing to take her eyes off of me. I knew right away that she was disturbed and mortified, just by looking into her eyes. "I don't like it, either. I want to beat the shit out of him and that's fine, but killing him…Bella, you're above that and I know it. You know in your heart too that it wouldn't be right. He's not worth it."

I hesitated and thought on her words as I glanced at the cowering human, then sighed. "Okay," I murmured, relaxing my body. "That doesn't mean I don't want him to suffer."

"That's fine with me," Alice replied. "It's the least he deserves."

"Alice!" James whined. "What are you saying? I love you!"

Alice finally acknowledged James, shuddering slightly next to me. "James, I don't know what's happened to you to make you do…_this_. But I'm not interested in you, at all. You need help, James, serious help. Regardless, I'm never coming back to you. I love Bella and I plan to live with her for the rest of my existence. There's nothing you can do to change that."

James gritted his teeth. "But…you…you said…"

"Oh, one more thing," Alice said, stepping forward. Her left foot shot out and smashed into his face, effectively breaking his nose and causing his head to snap back. "That's for threatening my sister, you fucking psycho. If I _ever_ see you near her, myself, or my Bella again, I'll break your fucking spine! And another thing." Her right foot did the same, this time to his chest.

"What was that for?" I inquired, eyeing her curiously.

"Pointing a gun at you," she growled. "Let's get out of here."

I wrapped my arm around her and turned to see Rosalie and Jasper setting all the photos of Alice on fire in a trash can, which I was glad to see. Rosalie had a fairly deranged smile on her face while Jasper remained calmer, though when his eyes met mine, I could see the anger in them at what James had done—and attempted to do—which I reciprocated.

"YOU FUCKING BITCH!" James roared. "After everything I've done for you, this is the thanks I get in response? Screw you, I'll kill you all!"

I heard the sound of James picking the gun up and immediately threw Alice at Rosalie, who caught her effortlessly as I spun around. James fired three bullets from the gun at me, each bouncing off my skin as if they were made of paper. James blinked rapidly and fired again and again, each time getting the same result.

"Why won't you die?" James shrieked, squirming to his feet.

I smiled. "Well, at least I get to do this, now."

I surged forward and slammed my left fist into the foolish human's chest, breaking two of his ribs as he doubled over in pain, gagging up blood. His blood made my throat start to burn, but I pushed the feeling aside and lifted my foot above his back.

"Bella," Jasper said, coming to stand by my side. "Leave him."

"Jazz, he needs to suffer," I hissed.

"He will," Jasper replied. "Not like this, though. Besides, Alice said the police are on their way and we don't want to get caught up in the middle of that. We need to leave."

I sighed. "Damn it."

"What about him seeing Bella take all those bullets?" Rosalie questioned. "Surely we can torture him into forgetting or something along those lines?"

"I'll handle that," Jasper chuckled. "Look, I want the bastard torn limb from limb myself, I'm not trying to say I don't, but there are other ways to torment someone other than killing them, no matter how worthless they are. Carlisle and Esme helped raise us to abstain from killing, though, and for the time being, I think it best that we continue to do so."

My lips twitched. "If we did kill him, then that guy he paid would know I had something to do with it and we'd get into more trouble. It's not like we couldn't get out of it, but the less of a fuss we make, the better, I guess. It still stinks, though."

"I know, Bella," Jasper said.

Reluctantly, we let the weasel live and Rosalie and I left the building, Alice in my arms, while Jasper stayed behind to use his gift to manipulate James. The three of us got into Emmett's jeep and waited a few minutes before Jasper joined us, at which point Rosalie drove us back home. It was perfect timing, too, because the cops were in the distance closing in on the apartment.

"Who called the cops?" I inquired. I was sitting in back of the jeep with Alice curled into my arms snugly, holding me tightly.

"I did," Alice replied. "I had a vision of you killing him, so I called Rosalie and Jasper, then the police because I knew I'd be able to make you stop and James would get thrown in jail instead." Her beautiful eyes met mine. "You're not mad at me, are you?"

"No, why would I be?" I asked. "You stopped me from doing something that probably would have backfired on me anyway. And you were right, he wasn't worth it. I'm sorry, Alice, and I'm sorry to you two as well, Rose, Jazz. I should've thought it over better."

Rosalie snorted. "Don't apologize, Bella. I would've killed him without batting an eye."

"I hope I never see that jackass again," Alice grumbled. "I can't believe he took all those photos of me without me even knowing! He was stalking me! That's so creepy."

"Next thing you know, he'll try watching you sleep," I said, mostly as a joke.

Alice shuddered and the rest of us laughed. "It's not funny! That's super creepy!"

"So you're saying I can't watch you sleep?" I asked, lifting an amused eyebrow.

"You can if we're lying in bed together, sure," Alice replied. "It's not creepy then, but if you were to stand in the corner while I was unaware of you being there, then I would probably become paranoid. Seriously, who does that sort of thing?"

"Someone who deserves to get the shit kicked out of them," Rosalie said.

"I second that," Jasper snickered.

"Same here," I added, kissing Alice's cheek. "At least we won't have to deal with that pain in the ass for a good while, hopefully never again." The thought of him being gone made me happy, but at the same time, I had a bad feeling this wouldn't be the last we saw of James.

"Speaking of stalker problems," Rosalie said. "You should know what Mike Newton did when you left school today to go and help Alice."

I groaned. "What did he do this time?"

"He told everyone that you were in denial about your love for him and that the only reason you're with Alice is to make him jealous," Jasper answered with a sigh. "It was rather pathetic, really. The boy is utterly obsessed with you to a degree only one beneath that of James's obsession with Alice. I almost feel sorry for him. Almost."

"The punkass started badmouthing you and Alice, so I shut him up," Rosalie informed me, smirking in the mirror. "He cowered in fear like he usually does, but I know for a fact that he started up again when we left. We should commit a crime and frame him for it so he'll be kicked out of school. Then we wouldn't have to deal with him."

"That would be nice," I remarked.

"Forget about him," Alice murmured. "He's not that important."

The three of us happily agreed with that statement as we drove up to the house. I lifted Alice into my arms and carried her inside to the family room. Esme and Carlisle were present, speaking with Cynthia, who sat with a scowl on her face until she saw Alice and me.

"Where the fuck did you go?" she asked her sister.

"Sorry, sis," Alice replied sheepishly. "We had to deal with James."

"Am I going to hear what happened?" she inquired.

"He's fucking insane, what else is there to say?" Rosalie stated as she strutted inside, kissing my cheek before flitting upstairs, likely to be with Emmett.

"That's putting it mildly," Jasper chortled, sitting down.

Cynthia arched an eyebrow. "What'd he do this time?"

"Aside from nearly having you badly wounded and threatening me with a gun, the bastard had a wall full of photos of Alice," I said, sitting and snuggling up with Alice. "He'd been stalking her and she didn't even know it. He's obsessed and it's clear that obsession isn't going to go away any time soon. I hope he stays in jail for the rest of his miserable little life."

Cynthia grimaced. "Ew. That's sick."

"My thoughts exactly," Alice grunted. "I can't believe he's become so…deranged."

I chuckled and kissed her forehead. "Considering how sexy and amazing you are, I suppose I can't blame him in that sense. He'd have to be gayer than a sparkly fairy to not find you attractive, and I use the phrase in an ironic sense, not insulting."

"I like fairies," Alice snorted before giggling. "But yeah, you're right. Thank you, Bella."

"For what?" I asked. "I didn't do anything."

She rolled her eyes. "For looking out for me."

"I'll always look out for you," I said. "It's my duty as your mate."

"Just as long as you allow me to do the favor when I can," Alice said. "When I become a vampire, you can bet your ass I'm going to protect you like crazy."

I chuckled. "I wouldn't be surprised, my dear Alice."

"I hate to intrude upon your moment, but we have some news," Esme said. She and Carlisle had been silent since we came home, but I hadn't noticed the frowns on their faces until now. "We received a call from the Brandons' lawyer earlier, mostly spewing out bullshit pertaining to laws that we really don't need to care about. However, they aim to take us to court."

"Needless to say, I called Mr. Jenks and he will help us out," Carlisle said. "Bella, you, Jasper and Victoria will be going to visit him tomorrow. I'm certain you can get the adoption forms set up as well. As for you, Alice, because of today's events, we've decided to keep you home for the rest of the week alongside your sister. That way, you won't be in imminent danger."

"What about the others?" I asked. "Esme, I know you'll be going back to work with Carlisle sooner or later, and when that happens, Alice and Cynthia will be left alone."

"Not to worry," Esme replied. "They'll have Jane with them tomorrow. And after that, one of you will stay home each day for the rest of the week to be with them. I'll ask for some time off afterwards so I'll be able to stay here and keep an eye on Cynthia once Alice is able to return to school. For the time being, there's no reason to fret, dear."

"Who is Mr. Jenks, by the way?" Cynthia asked.

"He's an old associate of sorts," Jasper replied. "Years ago, when we first moved to Washington, Victoria and I found a man with numerous contacts that dealt with…shady undertakings. He's since passed on, and his assistant, Jason Jenks, took over. We've been dealing with him for quite some time now, truth be told. Perhaps longer than we should."

"He's useful, though," Victoria said, appearing from the back to sit near Jasper. "He takes care of forging legal documents of all kinds and he's got a shit ton of lawyers. Needless to say, whenever we need that sort of assistance, good old Jason is more than willing to help."

I chuckled. "That's because you scare the living crap out of him, Tori."

"Does he know you're vampires?" Cynthia asked.

"No," Jasper replied. "I keep him calm using my gift and add in a few other emotions to prevent him from outwardly caring. At the same time, Victoria's presence is to ensure that he never speaks of it to anyone. We've gone out of our way to make sure he doesn't, in fact, some of which I wasn't wholly fond of, but in the end, it's a necessary evil, I suppose."

"Evil?" Victoria scoffed. "Please. He deserves it."

"Oh, that reminds me," Esme said, clasping her hands together. "Cynthia, dear, your poor car was demolished today, wasn't it? We'll replace it for you tomorrow."

Cynthia blinked rapidly in surprise. "Oh. You…you don't have to. I mean, uh…"

"Relax, Cynthia," Jasper chuckled. "It's impossible to dissuade Esme from doing something she wants to do. Besides, you're part of the family now, and since we're rich, buying you a new car isn't really that big of a deal."

Esme beamed at her. "It's no problem, dear. I'll help you look over cars you would like and make sure that it's everything you want. It'll be fun!"

Alice and I giggled at Cynthia's stunned reaction as Carlisle kissed Esme on the cheek. The two of them soon left the room. Jasper turned the TV on, and he and Victoria began to play a game while Alice and I watched on, comfortable with simply holding each other.

"I love you," Alice whispered into my ear, kissing my cheek.

I smiled warmly at her. "I love you too."

We kissed passionately on the lips for several minutes. Eventually I pulled away and we went back to snuggling, though Alice froze up moments later. I glanced at her face and saw that she was having a vision, which worried and intrigued me at the same time. I silently prayed that it didn't involve the Thornes or James or anyone else. I didn't want to deal with them right now.

When Alice came out of her vision, she frowned. "How odd," she mumbled.

"What?" I asked.

She shook her head. "I had a vision about someone I've never even seen before and the vision barely told me much of anything. I feel like I get those from time to time. It's annoying."

"Do you think it's a sign of some kind?" I asked.

"It's hard to say," Alice replied. "It happened so fast…I'm not sure what I saw, truthfully. I won't let it bother me, though. Honestly, all I want to do right now is spend time with you." She looked up at me and flashed me a dazzling smile.

I smiled back. "I'm more than happy to oblige."

**A/N: Ah, James, such a creeper.**

**So several notes. First, I've heard about the "war" between the authors of this site and the site itself because someone caused FF to begin removing stories. I think that's total bull and if my stuff gets removed, you can bet I'm not going to stick around on here. I hope that doesn't come to pass, however, because I love my readers and my work. To see it get removed for something stupid would piss me off and hurt me, as it likely has to those who it's already happened to. Besides, this site would go kaput if they keep doing this, so they need to stop.**

**Second note, for those who haven't noticed, I recently posted a oneshot that I promised to write a friend of mine. It's Bella/Tanya, but I happen to like it. If you have the chance, feel free to read it and drop an opinion, I'd love to hear what you think.**

**Lastly, regarding the previous chapter, I asked a question that was important to me, but not too many people said much. That's fine, but if any of you read this and do have an opinion (go back to my previous author's notes to see, I don't want to sound naggy by repeating it), please, let me know. Also, to one reviewer who misread, Bree won't be involved in this story. That I know of, at least.**

**Until next time. **


	40. The Meeting

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight saga or its characters, Meyer does. I own my characters and ideas. And I really need my own slogan.**

**The Meeting**

"How long will you be gone for?" Alice asked me. It was the next day and we were downstairs, a few minutes away from Jasper, Victoria and I leaving to visit Mr. Jenks. "I don't want to wait around for hours while you're out and about. I want to go with you."

I chuckled and kissed her forehead. "I know how you feel, Alice. Don't worry; I won't be gone too long. Besides, you should spend some time with your sister."

"Yeah, Alice," Cynthia said. "Am I not cool enough to spend time with?"

"You're cool, you just stink," Alice giggled, sticking her tongue out at her sibling.

Cynthia narrowed her eyes. "You're going to pay for that one, brat."

I grinned. "You see? You two will have tons of fun while I'm away."

"Oh, we're going to have fun alright," Cynthia said, cracking her knuckles and smirking.

Alice shot me a "help me" look and the rest of us laughed. "I guess we should be going then, right, Jazz?" I asked, turning to my smiling blonde brother.

"Just about, yes," he replied. "Shall we go, Victoria?"

"I kind of want to see Cynthia torture Alice," Victoria said. "I'd enjoy watching."

"So do I," I giggled.

Alice glared at me. "If you're just going to stand there and enjoy my misery, you might as well get going, because I'm not going to indulge you that pleasure."

I kissed her forehead once more. "Alright then, Alice, see you later."

She sighed and hugged me tightly for a few minutes before releasing me. "I love you."

"Love you too," I replied before turning to walk out the door with Jasper and Victoria.

We clambered into Jasper's car, then drove off towards town to find our dear friend, Jason Jenks. I, for one, wasn't looking forward to meeting with him given my disdain for his mannerisms, but I knew it was necessary for more than one reason. He was useful, too, even though his apparent infatuation with me irked me to no end.

"You're not looking forward to seeing our old friend?" Jasper asked, chuckling.

I snorted. "I'll be happy when we're on our way back home."

"I wouldn't worry about it," Victoria remarked. "That fool won't try anything. He knows better than it since both Jazz and I will be there. And if he does, I'll threaten him, plain and simple."

"Thanks, Tori," I said, smiling.

Not too long later we made it to town and Jasper pulled to a stop on the side of the road. We were outside the apartment that Jenks worked out of, which also counted as his home. The three of us made our way inside and went up a floor to where Jenks' room was. Jasper knocked on the door while Victoria and I waited, my interest practically non-existent at the moment.

A moment later the door opened and Jenks peered out from his room, his eyes widening when he saw the three of us standing outside his door.

"Ah, the C-Cullens!" he stammered, smiling feebly. "It's so good to see you all. Come in, come in."

We walked into his spacious room and seated ourselves in the chairs in front of his massive desk as he hurriedly scurried behind it and removed the papers, scowling until he finished, at which point he sat down and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. His slightly weathered eyes glanced between all of us, briefly lingering on me as they always did.

I ignored it. The middle-aged fool was unattractive and annoying as all hell and the fact that he was attracted to a seventeen year old girl—though to be frank; I did look a bit older—was repulsive to me. The only reason I even bothered going to see him was when it was absolutely necessary, and given how important Alice and Cynthia were to me, this counted.

"So," Jenks said, clasping his hands together, still nervous. "W-what can I do for you?"

"Two things," Jasper replied. "Firstly, are you familiar with the Brandon family?"

Jenks' eyes widened. "Jeremy and Clara? Why yes, I've h-helped them out on occasion. They've been l-loyal customers of mine for a few years now, actually, although they'll never be my favorites, I p-promise. Your family will always hold that spot."

I frowned. "Wait, _they_ use your services?"

Jenks nodded. "Not all of my business is…like this. I do honest things for honest people, like the Brandons. Although it has been some time since I last saw them. We met several years ago to discuss a…less than stellar family issue that I helped them take care of. I sometimes consider calling them to see if they intend to continue doing business, but…well, I don't."

"What did they need you to do?" I asked, suddenly interested.

Jenks swallowed. "Well, erm…I'm afraid I can't discuss that information. It's, you know…"

Victoria placed her hand on the table and smiled. "Come now, Jason. You know you can trust us; we've been your clients for many, many years, after all. When have we ever steered you wrong? Never, of course. We're good, honest people. Now answer my sister's question and do me a favor; stop ogling her. I don't like that. And you wouldn't want me getting angry, would you?"

Jenks looked like he was about to have a miniature heart-attack out of fear, though Jasper calmed him down a bit. I could also feel another emotion enter the room, at which point I realized Jasper was subtly manipulating Jenks into giving me the information I asked for.

"R-right, of course," Jenks mumbled, biting his lip. "Well, it's…rather sad, really, but apparently there was an issue with one of their daughters and…they needed my help to find a suitable place to help her and…keep her there. I didn't enjoy doing it, but I knew a doctor at the institute I sent her to. He was a good man, so I knowingly sent her there. I only heard recently that she was out."

I balled my hands into fists. "_You _were the one her to that awful place?" Anger swirled within my chest when I thought about the torture Alice must have endured and the knowledge that Edward had been there with her, causing me to shoot out of my chair in a heartbeat, Jenks shrinking into his seat in terror. "You son of a bitch!"

"W-w-wait, p-please!" he stammered feebly, holding his hands up. "I had n-no idea of what would h-happen there, I swear! I was told something d-different!"

Jasper stood and placed a hand on my shoulder, shooting calmness through my body. "Bella," he whispered. "He's telling the truth. Calm yourself."

I grimaced and glared at Jenks for a solid minute before allowing the waves of calm to envelop me and sitting down. I placed my face in my hands and sighed as my siblings each comforted me by rubbing circles into my back, which helped a great deal.

"Thanks," I murmured.

"This was the last you spoke to the Brandons?" Victoria inquired. "Truly?"

"Y-yes," Jenks replied. "It's almost as if they intentionally d-distanced themselves from me, which is understandable, I s-suppose. W-what was it about them that you wanted help with?"

"Two things," Jasper answered. "The first will be the easiest for you, Jason. You see, the Brandons' daughters have moved in with us. One of them has formed a relationship with my sister here and the other is, naturally, not going anywhere. As such, we intend to adopt them into our family and we want you to forge the documents. This also requires a bit more work, though."

"We need you to hack into all accounts with their daughters names and transfer all money to our account. We don't want them to lose what little their parents likely gave them, after all. Once you're finished, call us and inform us when everything is done, then we'll come to pick the documents up and give you some peace of mind for a time."

I didn't fail to notice the sullen look on Jenks' face when he heard about Alice and me, but he didn't react much aside from that. He didn't even look at me, in fact, clearly taking Victoria's warning to heart. She scared the crap out of him after all.

"I…I can do t-that," Jenks said, nodding affirmatively. "Give me a w-week and a half."

"Perfect," Jasper replied. "Now, on to the second item, also relating to the Brandons. We recently received a threat from them regarding the situation with their daughters and we've come to believe they aim to take us to court. Being our lawyer, we want you to…dabble around and find a way to make them call a ceasefire. We don't need publicity."

"In other words, shut them the hell up," Victoria said. "And while you're at it, slap a restraining order on their asses to keep them away from us and their daughters. We're done with them and we never want to see their ugly, smug-ass faces again. Got it, Jason?"

He nodded again. "Y-yes, ma'am. I'll n-need the signatures of the d-daughters, though…"

"Give me a piece of paper," I said. "I've memorized both of them."

Jenks speedily grabbed a notepad and pen, which I took and scribbled out Alice and Cynthia's signatures perfectly. I'd seen Alice's on more than one occasion and knew what Cynthia's looked like after seeing it only once, and that had been unintentional. Either way, I was glad I'd noticed it, because it spared me from coming back to see Jenks anytime soon.

"Perfect," Jenks said. "T-thank you, Miss Cullen."

"Can you do this for us?" Victoria asked.

"O-of course," he stuttered. "I can get it done as soon as p-possible. The Brandons were good clients before, but since they no longer seem to work with me, I don't see a problem with it. I'll always be loyal to you, Cullens. I have been from the beginning and I won't change. I swear."

"His terror is always amusing," Victoria snickered, too quiet for Jenks to hear.

"Is there anything else you need from me?" Jenks asked, shifting his glance between each of us.

Something popped into my head at that moment and I cleared my throat. "You have contacts all around the Forks area, don't you, Jenks?" I asked.

"Y-yes, I do," he replied.

"Good," I said. "There's a group of individuals that recently came to Forks and I'm more than certain they're still in the area somewhere. They're…like us, but in a bad way. I want you and your people to keep tabs of anytime you hear or see them in town, got it?"

Victoria turned to eye me. "You don't mean…?"

"I do," I replied. "I know it might be pointless, but every little bit helps, right?"

"Maybe," she said. "Personally, it's a waste of time in my opinion."

"Perhaps," Jasper said. "But we won't know unless we try, Tori."

Victoria sighed. "Fine."

"May I ask who these…individuals are?" Jenks inquired when no one else spoke.

"They're called the Thornes," Victoria said in a low voice. "Be wary of them."

He nodded and scribbled their name down on a sheet of paper. "I'll see what I can do."

"Good," Jasper said, standing. "Thank you, Jenks. You've been helpful, as always."

"Useful, too," Victoria added, smirking. "Just be sure to keep your wits about you, Jason. We don't want anything bad happening, after all, do we?"

"N-no, ma'am," Jenks stuttered, gulping.

"One more thing," I said. "James Witherdale. He's a jackass that's been stalking my girlfriend and he's probably in jail right now. I want you to write a restraining order on him as well."

Jenks nodded and scribbled James' name down. "Understood, ma'am. It will be done."

I nodded and got up hurriedly and turned to my brother. "Can we get out of here, now?"

"Of course," Jasper replied with a smile.

"Oh, um…Cullens?" Jenks squeaked. "There's…something I have to tell you."

"What is it, Jenks?" Victoria asked, rolling her eyes.

"I have a message for, uh, Miss Bella," he replied quietly, shrinking back when I turned to scowl at him, wondering what sort of "message" it was. "I'm s-sorry I didn't mention it sooner, but I wanted to wait for you to finish before I brought it up. It's, um…well, the doctor I mentioned earlier, the one I know, he's an associate of mine, actually and he seemed to know you."

I flinched as my body froze in place as I stared at Jenks. "This…doctor. His name wouldn't be Anthony Edwards, would it?"

"Why yes," Jenks said. "He's used my services quite a few times, just as your family has. In fact, he's always seemed rather interested in your family, namely you, Miss Bella. He asks about you often, actually. I tell him nothing, though, because my business with you is private. Oh, yes, the message. It was…he said he was "looking forward to visiting you again". Yes, that's it."

Jasper immediately placed his hand on my shoulder while Victoria took one of my hands. I narrowed my eyes as part of me contemplated ripping Jenks into shred without a reason, but I pushed those thoughts down and simply calmed myself alongside Jasper.

"When did he give you this message?" Victoria demanded.

"Er…yesterday," Jenks replied, gulping.

"We need to go," I hissed.

Jasper and Victoria nodded and the three of us left Jenks' office immediately. Once we got outside, I snarled and punched the nearest thing I could, which happened to be a wall that I practically demolished. Jasper sent me calm waves, but they did little to help the fact that Edward not only knew Jenks, he probably knew everything Jenks did for us.

"Damn it!" I cursed.

"I can't believe he's been with Jenks this entire time," Jasper growled. "Damn. I should've considered asking him years ago, but I never thought to."

"None of us did," Victoria grumbled. "That slippery bastard…"

I ran a hand through my hair as I paced back and forth, fuming. "Damn it, damn it, damn it! How is he always a step ahead of me? Shit!"

"Don't worry, Bella," Victoria said. "It's not like he knows what we're planning."

"That's not the point, Tori," I muttered, shaking my head. "He's read Jenks' mind, we all know that. And while he may not know every detail, he'll know what we're doing if he and Jenks cross paths again because Jenks is a scatterbrained dumbass. We have to figure out a way to keep Jenks from spilling anymore information to that bastard."

"We could kill him," Victoria suggested. "But that would ruin what he's going to do for us and then we wouldn't have him around when we needed him."

"Killing him won't do any good," Jasper agreed.

I turned to my brother. "Can you manipulate him into keeping his thoughts limited some way?"

Jasper frowned. "I…don't know, honestly. I've never tried before. I suppose I can try, but I'm not sure how well it would work. Hmm…"

"What if you used your gift to manipulate Jenks into keeping his thoughts jumbled whenever Edward is around him, like, I don't know, if he were hypnotized," I suggested. "Also, you could make it so he only agreed to meet Edward in crowded places or speak to him via phone, that way the bastard wouldn't be able to get to him. Would that work?"

"It's worth a try," Jasper said. "I don't much like manipulating others, but in this case, it's for a good cause. Besides, Jenks is fairly easy to manipulate, so it won't be much different. I'll go and do so right now before we leave. Try not to get into any trouble, girls."

He disappeared, leaving Victoria and I by ourselves. Victoria snorted. "Trouble? Us? Please."

I sat down on the curb near our car and placed my face in my hands, soaking in the knowledge that Edward had found a way to keep tabs on me, which pissed me off. I was sick and tired of him always being a step ahead. It angered me to no end and there was only so much I could do about it without somehow tipping him off.

Victoria sat next to me and wrapped her arm around my shoulders. "I'm sorry, Belly-Button."

I pulled my face away and glanced at her. "Did you just…?"

She smiled. "Yeah. Does it bother you?"

"No," I admitted. "Call me crazy, but I'm starting to get used to my nickname. Actually, scratch that, I know I'm crazy. This whole situation…it only makes me feel crazier now." I paused. "Wait, why are you apologizing, Tori? You didn't do anything wrong."

"I feel bad we didn't know this shit before," Victoria replied. "And I feel worse that we never considered asking Jenks about the fucker in the past. Jazz is pissed about it, too. I can tell from his eyes, though he's trying not to show it. He wants to be your support system, like me."

"It's not your guys' fault," I said. "None of us thought of it. It never even struck me. I do appreciate both of you wanting to comfort me, but you shouldn't hold your emotions in for my sake. This whole situation just stinks." My eyes drifted to the ground. "I need to relax, though. I can't let this get me worked up. That's what Edward wants from me."

Victoria snorted. "It's kind of hard to not be pissed given everything he's done. Hell, I promised myself I would never get mad if I saw the Thornes again years ago and look what happened. It's difficult to hold in sleeping emotions, especially when they're as strong as the hate and anger we feel from our pasts. Sometimes we can't control ourselves. It happens."

"True," I agreed. "But in this case, if I get mad, I'll probably fuck myself over. Edward knows how to push my buttons. This "message" was obviously meant to do just that, as well as keep me on my toes. I have to train myself to not let him get to me. I need to fight his manipulation somehow, although I'm not sure how at this point in time."

"We'll figure something out," Victoria replied.

"Pardon the intrusion, but perhaps I could help?" asked a voice behind us.

Victoria and I jumped to our feet and whipped around to see one of the Thornes—Dante if I remembered correctly—leaning against a nearby building with his hands in his pockets. He was the Thorne with short, wavy black hair, a very outlandish attire that reminded me of something Amara might wear, only a bit more formal and looked the least overly threatening of his coven.

"What the fuck do you want, Dante?" Victoria snarled. "Why are you even here?"

Dante's dark red eyes shifted between us as he stepped forward. "Victoria, in the time that you knew me, when have you ever known me to be at the same level as the others?"

Victoria seemed to consider this. "Not very often. That doesn't change your allegiance to them, Dante. Now answer my damned question before I get pissed; why are you here?"

"Truthfully, I came into town to observe," he replied. "I like to learn about my surroundings. Then I overheard you two talking and decided I'd make my presence known, rather than sneak about like a rat. You see, while I may be loyal to the Thornes as a whole, my loyalties have began to…dwindle in recent years. Nikala and Asher have changed, I believe."

Victoria scoffed. "The idea of either of them changing is laughable, Dante."

"Not like that, Victoria," Dante said. "Ever since I joined their coven years ago, I've always felt a sort of kinship to them. I never saw them as parents the way you clearly see your coven leaders, but I considered them friends in a way. However, after the situation with you occurred, I began to notice…things, things I didn't like."

"They've become colder and more ruthless in recent years, and far more driven in whatever goals they have, none of which I'm aware of. It's gotten me thinking about…leaving. At any rate, that's not important or interesting to you at this moment. You wish to know what I meant when I said I might be able to help, yes?"

"Don't bullshit us," I warned. "Or we'll kill you here and now."

"I am aware of that," Dante replied. "Look, I don't know every detail, but I know the man you're speaking of has been in contact with Nikala and Asher. We met him some time ago, in fact, and he seemed to know them. I don't know if they're allies, but I have a feeling they might be. When they came to your home, they were lying the entire time they talked."

"What?" I breathed. "They're…allies?"

"I believe so," Dante replied. "It seemed like it. I can't say for certain, but I'd guess as much."

"Shit," Victoria cursed. "That's fucking _fantastic_ to know."

"How does this help us, exactly?" I asked, eyeing the dark-haired vampire.

"It gives you a heads up," he replied. "I'll see if I can learn more about it, then let you know."

"Why?" Victoria asked. "Why help us, Dante? We're not friends."

Dante sighed. "Believe it or not, I've become more disillusioned with their ways in recent years and I'm not particularly fond of it. As I said, I've considered leaving, although I'm not sure if I intend to do so any time soon. I'm the smartest in my coven and I don't say that arrogantly; it's the truth. I can notice every small detail like nothing and I know when something's amiss."

"They're planning something big, I think. Something they haven't told the others about. Even if they did, I'm not sure anyone would care. They've been manipulated for so many years into believing every word Nikala and Asher say, they're convinced they would care about them enough if things became more complex. I, however, can see past that now."

"How do we know you aren't lying to us right now?" Victoria asked in a low growl.

"You don't," he replied. "But think of it this way: would I put my own life on the line and come to you if I didn't intend to divulge some real information? No, I wouldn't. I know your hatred for us, Victoria, and I can tell that this man has sewn seeds of hate into your sister here as well. At any rate, I must be going, but know this: the Thornes are making big plans."

"I can't say what, but I am fairly certain the Volturi are involved. And given your recent stance against them, I wouldn't be surprised if your family somehow ended up in the middle. Be wary and keep your wits about you if you see them again. They're likely going to do whatever they can to manipulate you in some way for whatever purpose they see fit."

"We'll keep that in mind," Victoria said as Jasper exited the building, immediately frowning when he saw Dante near us. "We have things to do, Dante. I suggest you leave."

"I planned to," Dante replied, bowing his head and smiling. "You may not trust me now, Victoria. Perhaps in the future, though, you may come to see that I'm not quite as shallow and mindless as my comrades. Goodbye, Cullens. Be well."

He turned and darted into the darkness of a nearby alley way as Jasper joined us, confusion written all over his face as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"What was that about?" he asked.

"Edward is working with the Thornes," I hissed.

Jasper narrowed his eyes. "That's not good news."

"No, not good at all," Victoria agreed. "Now we have even more shit to worry about along with that bastard. I hope those three weeks hurry the fuck up, I want to catch and kill him, then go after the Thornes. I've wanted them dead for years anyways, why not kill them all off?"

"He mentioned something about the Volturi being involved," I remarked. "What if they're involved some way with the Thornes' plans? If we kill them, then they might come after us and discover Alice and Cynthia. That's the last thing I want to happen."

"I know, but there's a chance the Volturi aren't with them," Victoria said. "We don't know."

"Which makes it all the more difficult to decide on what to do," Jasper said. "At any rate, we should get back to the house and inform the others of what we've learned. It would be best if everyone was in the loop so we could figure out what to do next concerning the Thornes now that we know they're in league with Edward."

"We also have to tell them that he knows Jenks," I muttered. "Alice won't be happy."

"Emmett will be, though," Victoria remarked as we got into Jasper's car. "He'll want to go hunt them down pronto and kick their asses without a thought."

"If only it were that easy," I said. "I don't know, Tori. I'm just wary because of Alice and Cynthia. I mean, if they were vampires, I'd be a little more eased, I suppose, but even then, I would still worry. The Volturi are a pain in the ass and I hate dealing with them. Plus, they'll want to add me to their collection as well since I now have an official gift."

"We wouldn't let that happen," Jasper said as he started his car. "To any of you."

"I know, Jazz," I murmured, staring out the window as he drove off. "I can't help myself."

The car ride home was quick and silent, but felt like an eternity for some reason. Jasper used his gift to send out calm vibes throughout, which helped, yet I was still troubled over the new information we'd received from Jenks and Dante Thorne. It felt like we were receiving bad news constantly, making our lives all the more difficult.

It was getting to the point where I felt like there was some twisted force in the world trying to make things hard on my family and I. Part of me wanted to fight against it, but I knew better than that and instead what I had to do was grow stronger and make things better.

I thought about Alice, about Edward, the Thornes and the Volturi. There were so many out there willing to fight against us and it felt like we were practically on our own. Yes, we had the Denalis, but aside from them, there was no one. The only potential "allies" we had were the shifters of La Push, but I doubted we would ever be able to count on them.

"You don't have to worry so much, Bella," Jasper said. "We've faced bad odds before."

"I know," I murmured. "I can't help it, Jazz. This time it's a lot more personal."

"That doesn't mean we can't handle it," Victoria stated.

I didn't say anything in response because I wasn't sure what to say. There was a lot to take in and a lot to deal with, and while I didn't want to be overtly negative, my thoughts on our current situations were mixed. Still, they were right in that we could handle what was being thrown at us. I simply needed to accept that fact and prepare myself.

We arrived home not too long after and all three of us were soon walking inside. Half the family was in the family room playing video games and Carlisle and Esme were in the kitchen discussing what to cook when I stepped through the doorway. I noticed Alice wasn't around, but figured she would be down soon since she likely knew I was back.

"Hey guys!" Emmett greeted us. "What's up?"

"A lot," Victoria replied. "We've got some news."

Esme and Carlisle walked into the foyer. "It doesn't sound very good," Carlisle remarked.

"What happened?" Esme asked.

I decided to let Jasper and Victoria explain everything while I headed upstairs to find my Alice, eager to give her a hug and kiss her because it'd make me feel tons better. I checked my room first to see if she'd snuck in there, then knocked on her room's door. No answer. Frowning, I checked every other room and realized she had to be in her room.

"Alice?" I gently pushed her door open and quickly noticed she was sitting upright on her bed, her hands both scribbling down furiously on a piece of paper. I walked inside and saw from her eyes that she was having a vision, only she was actually writing out what she was seeing.

My eyes shifted to the piece of paper and I instantly froze. She was drawing Edward, his twisted eyes staring at another figure that had yet to be completed. Surrounding him was the same forest nearby our house, at which point I realized she was having a vision about the "meeting" Edward was going to have in three weeks.

I watched intently as Alice detailed Edward and the forest beautifully—ignoring the subject matter at hand—then begin to draw out the body of the person he was speaking to. Within minutes her hands stopped moving and the face of the person Edward would be seeing was completed; it was a young man with a Volturi crest around his neck.

Alice snapped out of her vision once she'd finished. "Bella," she breathed, turning to me.

"You saw the meeting," I said, wrapping one arm around her as I kissed her forehead.

"Yes," she replied. "I was wrong about it, Bella. It's not in three weeks."

"When is it?" I asked.

"Next week," she said. "I…I got confused because I thought I saw a date, but…"

"It's okay," I said, sitting next to her. "Now we know for certain, at least." I stared at the young male she'd drawn opposite of Edward and pointed. "Do you know who he is?"

"No," she replied. "I've never seen him before in my life. Maybe one of the others will know?"

"Maybe," I offered. "The fact that he's Volturi troubles me, though. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said, resting her head on my shoulder. "I saw what happened with your lawyer friend in town. I guess I need to start keeping better tabs of all the threats to you and your family, because I never realized that jackass was the one behind my stint in the institute."

I hugged her close to me. "I won't let that happen again, Alice."

"I know, Bella," she whispered. "Thank you."

"Are you sure you're alright?" I asked.

She sighed. "That vision…it was so realistic, I felt like I was _there_, Bella. It creeped me out."

"I can't say I know how it feels, but he won't get to you, Alice," I said, stroking her cheek. "I promise to do whatever it takes to keep you and your sister safe."

Alice smiled lovingly at me and pressed her lips to mine. "Thank you, Bells. I love you."

"Love you too," I replied. "We should go show this to the others."

"Agreed," Alice said, nodding.

Before either of us could get up, there was a knock on the door and Jane popped in. "Hey, are you two planning on joining us or are you…going…" Jane's voice trailed off when she saw the drawing in front of Alice and she immediately seized it, her eyes widening in shock.

I frowned. "Jane? You okay?"

She stared at the drawing in shock. "Why did you draw this?"

"I had a vision of it and thought it was important," Alice replied. "Why?"

"This…" She sat down on Alice's bed and shook her head. "It's my brother."

**A/N: Hello, folks. Some revelations to confirm some suspicions and bring to light the fact that just about everyone forgot about poor old Alec, something I found mildly amusing. Either way, it adds fuel to already big fire the Cullens have to put out. Luckily for them, they've got some help in putting out said fire before it gets too big. Unless I make it bigger because I'm evil that way.**

**In random news, I'm going to be doing a couple more oneshots for friends. I recently posted a second one (that became a twoshot), so if you haven't looked at it yet, feel free to and, if you wish, drop me an opinion, as I enjoy those. **

**Pertaining to the oneshots, of the ones I've posted thus far, some people have said they would've preferred them as full stories. I understand and I would have loved to do full stories for them, but right now, I don't see that happening. You see, once I finish doing the oneshots and get past chapter fifty for Broken Aurora, I aim to go on hiatus and work on my novel series. I will return afterwards, most definitely, and I may still do some stuff on the side since my last hiatus didn't do me any favors. Just so everyone knows. Thank you.**


	41. Jane

**Disclaimer: I take no claim for the Twilight characters, I only own my characters and my original ideas.**

**Jane**

"He's…your brother?" Alice asked, shocked.

"Yes," Jane replied quietly. "There's no mistaking it. That's Alec."

I stood up and came to my youngest sister to place a hand on her shoulder. Unlike the case of Victoria's sister, Jane's brother was someone everyone in the family knew about previously. She often spoke of him and kept several old photos of the two from when they were children, and now, out of nowhere, there was proof that he was very much alive.

Jane had believed him to be dead until now. We all did.

"Jane, I…" I hesitated, not knowing what to say.

Jane shook her head in disbelief. "He's alive. I can't believe it…and he's in the Volturi!" A growl erupted from her as she glared venomously at the piece of paper. "I don't understand any of this, but now I have to go. I have to find him and figure out what happened to him that day, because I sure as hell never saw any signs that he was alive in the end."

"The meeting is next week," I said. "Alice, do you know the exact date?"

Alice bit her lip. "I…no, not yet. I'm sure I'll see it before it happens, but I don't know what day it's on. From what I could see, though, there were no clouds in the sky and there was a full moon out while the meeting was going on. Maybe that's a clue?"

I frowned. "I don't know, truth be told. I don't pay attention to the phases of the moon. The only people who would know that sort of thing…"

"Are the stinking dogs," Jane finished. "Fuck."

"Alice, isn't that thing you were invited to taking place tomorrow?" I asked.

She nodded. "Yeah. I've already asked Cynthia about it and she's going with me. Oh! I can ask the natives there when we go if they know when the next full moon will be! Brilliant!"

"That's something, at least," I remarked, glancing at my sister. "Are you okay, Jane?"

"Not really," Jane grunted. "I think I need to go hunt. I haven't yet absorbed the fact that my fucking brother is alive and well. I'll be…back." She handed Alice the drawing, then turned and bolted out the door without another word.

"Great," I sighed. "Another problem to add on top of the growing list."

"Sorry," Alice mumbled.

I sat next to her and kissed her forehead. "It's not your fault, Alice. You didn't do anything wrong other than give us new details on our chance to catch Edward. Besides, I didn't even recognize the boy in your drawing as Jane's brother. It's been so long, I honestly forgot how she described him all those years ago. You wouldn't have known, either way."

Alice scooted closer to me and we hugged one another. "May I ask what happened to Jane's brother that she would believe he was dead?"

"It's…a bit of a long story," I replied. "It's tied together with how Jane became a vampire and joined our family to begin with, which itself was a rather odd turn of events."

"How so?" Alice inquired. Her eyes were shimmering beautifully with genuine curiosity that I found both entrancing and adorable at the same time, but discussing Jane's past wasn't something I felt comfortable about without Jane being present.

"If it's alright with you, I'd rather wait until Jane comes back," I said. "I'd feel weird talking about her past without her being around. She could give you a better idea, anyways."

"That's okay," Alice said, smiling. "I'm sorry for being so nosy. I like hearing about your pasts; they're all extremely interesting and unique. But if Jane doesn't want to talk about it, I won't bring it up again until she does. I wouldn't want her to feel pressured into it or anything."

"Believe me, Jane's the kind of person who wouldn't let that happen," I said. "Anyways, I guess we should get downstairs to hear what the others are talking about and give Jane some space."

She agreed and we made our way downstairs into the family room where the others were present, talking about the newfound knowledge of Edward and the Thornes and what to do about it. Once Alice and I sat down, the room quieted a bit and Riley spoke up.

"Where did Jane go?" he asked. "She came running down here and ran out of here without saying a word. Is she alright?"

"Alice had a vision and drew out what she saw," I replied, wrapping an arm around Alice's shoulders. "It was the meeting Edward was having in the forest; the person he was meeting was her brother, who's apparently a member of the Volturi now. She got upset about it and I'm guessing she needed to leave to absorb the fact that her brother is alive and all."

"Holy crap, he's alive?" Emmett asked. "And in the Volturi?"

"I'm not sure if that's good news or not," Esme remarked.

"Will she be alright?" Victoria asked.

"She'll be fine," Riley replied. "She just needs some time alone."

"She'll have our support regardless," Carlisle stated. "For the time being, let us focus on the topic at hand of what you learned during your visit with Mr. Jenks. Now that we know the Thorne coven is our enemy, we'll know better the next time we deal with them. Regardless, their alliance with Edward and the warnings given to us worry me."

"Can we go hunt them down now?" Emmett asked.

"As much as I'd like to, knowing that they're partnering with that bastard and what Alice saw with Jane's brother, who's in the Volturi, I don't think that'd be a wise idea," I said. "If anything, the Thornes will be expecting us to come after them. Hell, for all we know, Edward's fully aware of Alice being with us and he'll expect us to come after him, too."

"What the fuck do we do, then?" Rosalie asked. "This is growing tedious and more irksome with each passing day and we're losing options left and right. If all this is true, then it's likely the fucking Volturi is going to give Edward and the damned Thornes clearance to do whatever they want to us since I _know_ we're on their shit-list."

"We need a plan," Jasper said.

"Not just a plan, but multiple plans," Riley said. "A main plan, a backup plan, a backup for the backup…this is going to get ugly pretty quickly if we're not careful."

"I don't think you guys have to worry too much," Alice interjected. "I mean, if there were any real problems, I would know. So far, the only thing I've seen is this meeting between that bastard and Jane's supposed brother. That's it. Trust me, if these Thorne people were really planning something for the not-too-distant future, I would see it ahead of time."

"Your confidence is reassuring, but how do you know you'd see everything?" Jasper asked.

Alice scoffed. "Duh, because I _always_ see everything. My visions have never been wrong before, even if I myself may misinterpret them. If I see something, it's going to happen, and the main time I see things are when they're impactful to me. And since Bella is my girlfriend and I like all of you a lot, you're important to me. Therefore, I'm positive I'll see anything that happens."

I couldn't help smiling at my girlfriend's genuine arrogance. It was cute in my opinion.

"Have you ever had a blind spot before?" Riley asked.

"None that I've encountered," Alice replied, shrugging.

"No offense, but I'd rather not put the lives of this family in the hands of a single human just because she can see the future," Rosalie said.

"I'm telling you, I'll _know_ if something's up," Alice stated, crossing her arms.

I kissed her forehead. "It's not that we don't believe you, Alice, it's just that…"

"They need something more than your reassurance," Cynthia finished. "Alice, we're only humans in this. We can't do much of anything as we are right now, and even if you do see the future, what if your being human causes you to miss something important?"

Alice considered this and nodded. "Yeah, you're right." She turned to me. "What if you turned Cynthia and me? Wouldn't that make it easier?"

"Changing you would only solve part of the problem," Victoria replied. "You two would be savage, bloodthirsty newborns with superior strength and shorter tempers than our dear Rosalie here, making you volatile and more of a weakness than a strength. We'd have an easier time turning one of you first, then waiting it out to change the other."

"We can discuss the turning process later on," Esme said. "Right now, we should focus on the most important matter at hand, which is agreeing on our plan of action. What do all of you believe? Personally, I don't think we should be alarmed at this point in time, I feel that we should remain calm and levelheaded. I also think having daily patrols would be wise."

Carlisle nodded methodically. "I agree. Patrolling the area for any signs of trouble or suspicious behavior would benefit our safety quite a bit. I wouldn't mind going to La Push to speak with the elders and Alpha to inform them of the situation. Our alliance would further aid us in our time of need since they would be an ally neither Edward nor the Thornes would expect."

"Yeah, but would they even bother helping us?" I asked. "They're not exactly our 'friends.'"

"Dude, we don't need the mutts," Emmett boomed. "We can kick plenty of ass by ourselves without any help whatsoever. I say we turn Cynthia first, then Alice, train them, then go out, hunt these assholes down, and turn them into ash piles, plain and simple."

"Emmett, dear, think about it," Esme calmly interjected. "Would throwing caution to the wind and hunting these individuals down as a family really be the best option? It might very well be what they want from us because Edward has likely told the Thornes all about us given the information he's probably gotten from Mr. Jenks. It wouldn't work out well."

"Oh…" Emmett frowned and crossed his arms. "Okay, no rushing in and pummeling, I guess."

"We'll figure something out," Carlisle said. "Of that, I have no doubts."

The discussion continued for about an hour before the group dissolved to go their separate ways. Alice and I kissed as I wondered what we could do until Jane returned so I could ask if she'd be willing to explain to Alice—and Cynthia, who expressed interest as well since she'd been fairly lost throughout the previous conversation—about her past.

"We should do something together," Alice said, glancing at me. "Something where it's just the two of us, maybe somewhere…private. Would you like that, Bella?" Her eyes sparkled as she smiled. "It'd be nice to get away, even if it's for a day."

"I like that," I replied. "We can do it sometime this next week."

She beamed. "Great!"

Shortly after, the door opened and Jane walked inside with her hands in her pockets and a neutral expression on her face as she turned into the family room. She sat down next to Riley, who enveloped her into his arms, tenderly kissing her forehead. She sighed and relaxed into his embrace while the rest of us remained silent out of respect.

"Why's everyone so quiet?" Jane asked a few minutes later.

"We're trying to be respectful," Rosalie replied.

"Oh," Jane mumbled. "Thanks. I'm fine, though. Pissed off and confused, but fine."

"We'll get to the bottom of it, Jane," I said. "I promise."

Jane scowled and shook her head. "I appreciate the concern, but if anyone's going to get to the bottom of the situation involving my brother, it's going to be me. I'll get my answers that night even if I have to chase him across the fucking world to Italy."

No one bothered to question her words since we all knew she meant it. Eventually the silence ended and Emmett turned on the game system, which Jasper, Victoria, and Riley joined him in playing while Jane moved off her husband's lap to sit on the couch, propping her feet up as Alice and I shared a silent look about asking Alice's question.

"Something on your mind?" Jane asked, turning her gaze to us. "I can tell there is. Let me guess; you want to know about my past and why I thought my brother was dead, right?"

"Only if you're willing to tell it," Alice replied. "I can't help it; I'm curious by nature."

Jane rolled her eyes. "Seeing as how you're my sister's mate and all, I suppose it's only fair that you and your sister hear it. Besides, if I didn't tell you, I'm sure one of these nimrods would since they have no qualms yakking about their pasts. I guess it's not that big of a deal, I simply needed some time to myself. I'll tell you. It's not all that interesting, though."

Alice snorted. "I sincerely doubt it's boring, Jane."

"It's not like Victoria's or Jasper's past," Jane said. "My life before the Cullens was fairly mundane. My brother Alec and I were born into a semi-wealthy family in Missouri back in the early 1920s. I'll tell you now since I know Emmett will shout it if I don't: Jane isn't my birth name, it's my middle. Ellen is my first name. I never cared for it, hence why I changed it."

Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, and Victoria burst into a fit of laughter at Jane's revelation, and I couldn't stop myself from smirking. Cynthia and Alice giggled along with the others, though Alice's giggling died down the quickest, instead becoming a small smile.

"I can relate," she said. "My first name is Mary, but I've always gone by Alice. I have nothing against Mary as a name, I just like Alice better. It fits me, like Jane fits you."

"Ellen sounds too formal for me," Jane agreed. "Anyways, my brother and I lived a decent life, for the most part. Our parents were your typical rich-bitch snobs, but they pampered us enough to keep us happy. Unfortunately, everyone around us had a habit of picking on us. We didn't fit in well with people; they called us the 'Witch Siblings.'"

"Why?" Cynthia asked.

"For several reasons," Jane replied. "I think the main one is the fact that strange things happened to anyone who got too close to us, which led to people calling us 'cursed' and shit. For example, there was one time when a girl who picked on me incessantly ended up tripping and breaking her leg after I glared at her for it. She screamed like she'd been hit, then fell.

"Obviously, it was my gift somehow manifesting in me at an early age. It happened repeatedly to the point where no one wanted to be near me. Alec wasn't much luckier; I don't know whether or not it's true, but I'm pretty sure he has a gift of his own because there were always similar occurrences to people who teased him as well. It generally happened to people we didn't like.

"Regardless, it labeled us as freaks and we were kicked out of school fairly early. It caused a bunch of drama and our family was pretty much ostracized in every way, shape, and form from our community because of what Alec and I 'did.' Looking back, I understand, but back then, I didn't. I couldn't figure out why people were so cruel and hateful to us. We were just kids."

Alice's eyes darkened. "People fear what they don't understand and hate what they fear. Everyone is so judgmental of anyone different from who they are. It's always been that way and I don't think it will ever truly change. It hurts to think about how much hatred and bias there is in this world, a world that supposedly claims to be the opposite."

I kissed Alice's neck and pulled her closer to me as Jane nodded. "Huh," Jane murmured. "I never thought about it until now, but we have a lot in common, I guess. I'm sorry for being bitchy to you in the past, Alice. Had I known more about you, it would've been different."

"No worries," Alice replied. "You had every reason to feel how you did."

"How did your parents react to all this?" Cynthia asked.

"Not very well," Jane replied. "They blamed us for their sudden loss in status and what little affection they gave us disappeared in a flash. And like any 'good' parents, they shunned us from then until the day they decided to get rid of us. They sent us off to live with our aunt and uncle, who lived in a different part of Missouri. We never saw them again."

"Our aunt and uncle, the former of whom was our mother's youngest sister, treated us better than our parents had, but they were a lot poorer and couldn't support us much. To make matters worse, our uncle was a bit of an alcoholic. Needless to say, our lives were miserable until the day the accident occurred and everything changed."

"Accident?" Alice asked.

"Our uncle caused a house fire," Jane replied. "It was an accident, I'm sure, but the drunken moron ended up setting the whole damned house on fire. Alec and I were upstairs when it happened, oblivious that he and our aunt had bolted out of the house without even thinking about us. Then I smelled smoke and stepped out of my room to walk into a blazing inferno around me.

"I freaked out and started calling for my brother, but I didn't get a response. Panicking, I tried to go to his room, but the ceiling collapsed and I was forced to go back to my room, the only safe place, at least at the time. Soon enough, my room was on fire and all I could do was watch helplessly, unable to fathom the fact that I was going to die.

"I felt a mass of burning pain as fire caught my leg and I struggled to get it off. I could hear what sounded like shouting and let out a scream, but ultimately, my world went black. When I awakened, I was in massive pain on a cold table. I felt like I was dead or that I was going to die. Then I heard a very soft voice asking me how I felt. It was Esme's voice, naturally."

I noticed Alice and Cynthia were fixated on Jane's words as she paused and smiled. "Carlisle and Esme were doctors at the nearby hospital at the time. They had been the ones who saved me, which was all thanks to Bella, who noticed our house being on fire and actually went in to pull me out despite the fact that we'd only seen each other once before."

Alice turned to me. "You saved Jane's life?"

I shrugged. "I saw the fire and heard Jane inside, and while part of didn't want to do anything about it, I felt this urge to go in and save her. So that's what I did. Still, I didn't technically 'save' Jane; Carlisle and Esme did when they turned her."

"Uh, yeah, but would I be here if you hadn't pulled my ass out of there?" Jane asked. "No, I would be long dead, so shut up and take the damn compliment."

"Alright, jeez," I muttered.

Alice put her hand on my shoulder. "Bella, that's a big deal. If not for you, Jane wouldn't be here and you'd be missing a sister. You should be proud of yourself for what you did. I am."

"Thank you, Alice," I said, pressing my lips to hers. "And thank you, Jane."

Jane nodded. "I owe you my life, Bella. I don't say it enough, but I really owe you my life. To get back to where I was before, Bella's right; Carlisle and Esme ended up turning me when it was clear I wouldn't survive with my injuries. The turning process hurt worse than anything I'd ever experienced before, but in the end, it was worth it.

"Unfortunately, some time later, I remembered my brother and asked Bella about whether or not she'd found him. That was when I realized my brother was likely dead, but there had been no reports about it in the news nor was there any sign of his body when I went to check. I honestly wasn't sure what to think; I didn't know if my brother was dead or alive."

"You said before that you tried to find him, right?" Cynthia asked. "Was that hard to do? I know if Alice disappeared, I would be searching like crazy to find her."

"I actually didn't stay with the Cullens when they first turned me," Jane replied. "I left them shortly after I found out about my brother and spent several years on my own. I looked everywhere, fighting off vampires and feeding on humans as I did. Those were…difficult times for me because I was on my own and I didn't know anything about the world around me."

"Eventually, I became lonely and depressed and my body decided to go back the way I came. I met up with the Cullens sometime later and they took me in. That's how I joined this family. We searched for signs of Alec everywhere we went, but nothing turned up, so I ultimately chose to accept the fact that Alec had died in the fire."

"Until now," I said. "Now that we all know otherwise."

"Which makes no sense," Jane growled. "I never saw him during the fire and there were no signs of him surviving when I went to check. There was nothing! It pisses me off, too, that he wouldn't bother trying to contact me to tell me that he was alive, the bastard."

"Unless he couldn't," Riley offered. "You know how the Volturi are. There's a chance he's wanted to, but they haven't allowed him for one reason or another."

"Riley's got a point," Jasper agreed. "He might not even know you're alive, Jane. That might be one of the reasons he's so loyal to them."

Jane frowned and bit her lip. "I…never really thought of that."

"Why would they keep him from contacting his sister?" Cynthia asked, confused.

"That's how they are," I replied. "They probably knew if Jane was alive, he would do whatever he could to leave the Volturi and come to live with us. They already see us as a growing threat, so adding another gifted vampire into the mix would make them even more paranoid. Plus, Aro and Sulpicia love their gifted vampires. They're toys to them. Very rare, valuable toys."

"I guess that would explain why he never contacted me," Jane murmured. "Damn it. Now I'm pissed off even more! When the hell is this meeting thing going down, Alice?"

"I…don't know," Alice admitted. "I know that it's this week and that it'll be when the moon is full and the sky is clear. I planned on asking around tomorrow when Cynthia and I went to La Push to hang out with Angela and a few others."

"Are we sure that's a good idea?" Cynthia asked. "I mean, aren't these people…dangerous?"

"The shifters are semi-dangerous, but that's only if you piss them off," Rosalie replied. "Which is actually fairly easy and fun to do. Tell them they stink and they'll start fuming in seconds."

"You shouldn't have anything to worry about," Riley said with a chuckle. "The wolves don't hurt humans no matter what. It's in their tribal code, in fact. My only suggestion to you would be to take very thorough showers before you leave to see them and make no mentions of our family, even if you overhear them badmouthing us."

"Why would we need to take thorough showers?" Alice asked.

"Because we stink to them," Victoria replied. "As they do to us. Apparently, we smell like rotting corpses with an overdose of perfume sprayed on top. What was it that one wolf described to us not too long ago? Sickeningly sweet? Yeah, something along those lines."

Alice furrowed her brow. "How could anyone think you stink? That's just weird."

I shrugged. "It's how they are. I suppose it's because we're meant to be 'mortal enemies' and the stench adds to that fact or something. Either way, promise me you'll be careful tomorrow. Both of you. We can't be there to help if something bad happens."

Alice snorted and pressed her lips to mine. "We'll be fine, Bella. Cynthia and I know how to take care of ourselves, believe it or not. We took martial arts for several years, after all."

"I'll protect her, Bella," Cynthia said, smiling at me. "I always do."

"Thanks, Cynthia," I replied, smiling back as Alice rolled her eyes.

"Are you alright, Jane?" Riley asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Not really," Jane replied with a sigh. "Can we go upstairs for a while?"

"Of course," he said. "Would any of you girls like to play in my place?"

"I will," Alice replied. Riley handed her the controller as he and Jane stood up to head to their room. Before they did, Alice reached out to touch Jane's hand. "Jane, I know this may not mean a whole lot, but I'll keep my eyes peeled for any new things I learn. I have faith that we'll find and help your brother, though. I promise to help as much as I can, too."

Jane gave her a tiny smile and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "Believe it or not, that means quite a bit to me. Thank you, Alice." She gave me a kiss on the forehead as well before she and Riley blurred upstairs to their room, likely to spend a bit of private time together.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" I asked, glancing at my other siblings.

"She'll be fine," Jasper reassured me. "She just needs some time."

"And for us to get to the bottom of this brother mystery," Victoria added. "Jane won't be the same until she gets her answers and probably her brother back. I doubt it'll be easy, though, since the Volturi tend to keep tight chains around their subordinates' throats. If we try anything, they'll likely know it was us. But knowing Jane, that's inevitable."

"We may need some help if that happens," I remarked.

"We've got Tanya and her coven," Emmett said. "That'll be more than enough."

"Emmett," Rosalie chided, lightly smacking his shoulder. "Use your brain, would you?"

"What are the chances of the La Push people helping?" Cynthia asked.

"Slim," Jasper replied. "Too many of them have a biased hatred of us simply because of what we are, so it would be difficult to work together with them."

"We can still try," Alice said. "Besides, if their land is in danger, won't they help then?"

"They'd be reluctant to do so regardless," I said, shaking my head. "Their Alpha and a small number of them would willingly help us if they had to, but most of the others would be extremely reluctant, and at least half of them would take any chance they had at killing us. They would probably claim it was an 'accident' or some shit, too."

"As you can see, being a vampire isn't all it's cracked up to be," Rosalie said, eyeing both Alice and Cynthia for a moment before returning her gaze to the TV.

"I'm not going to change my mind," Alice said. "I want to be with Bella forever and being a vampire is the only way that'll be possible. Sorry, but nothing will change that."

"And where Alice goes, I go," Cynthia stated with a nod.

"Poor Rose," I chuckled. "Foiled again."

Rosalie scoffed. "I wasn't trying to do anything. I was simply making a statement. If you want to be badass immortals like the rest of us, then fine, you just need to understand that with all these benefits, there are a good number of issues that come along with them."

"I'll take the bad with the good," Alice said. "I don't care. I want to be stronger than what I am right now because I'm tired of being weak and unable to defend myself. I want to protect the woman I love and my sister, and no matter what happens, I'm going to be a vampire, even if it means not being able to be around humans for years."

I appraised Alice after she'd finished speaking and moved in closer to her. I wrapped my arms around her slightly shorter body and pulled her to my lap, which she instantly relaxed into. A smile adorned my face as I kissed the top of her hair, breathing in her rich chocolate scent and brushing my nose against her short, spiky locks.

This woman truly was my soul mate; she was everything I'd ever wanted and then some. We hadn't spent a lot of time together, but I aimed to change that, regardless of the trouble looming in the future. I didn't care; I'd punch the future in the face to have the chance to be with her and to continue building our relationship up.

Nothing would stop me from loving her and protecting her. Not Edward, not the Thornes, not even the Volturi. And when all was said and done, Alice would become a vampire and we would live a happy immortal life. I would make sure of it.

**A/N: And there we have Jane's backstory for all those who wanted to see my Broken Aurora twist on it. I hope it was interesting. As far as Alec goes, the role he'll play in the future will...well, you'll have to wait and see and there's a handful of chapters before that happens. Next up, the wolves of La Push and the appearance of the girl you've all been waiting for.**

**For those who don't know, I've posted another new oneshot. I'll posting a handful of them in the coming week or two (as I finish them). Most will be Bellice, but some won't be (because it was what I was requested to do by those I talked with), but either way, please feel free to read them and drop me an opinion to let me know what you thought. I know most people would want full stories, but oneshots are easier. ;)**

**Here is a question for you: if Alice did not exist in an alternate story universe, what female character would you want Bella to be with? Rose? Tanya? Leah? Victoria? I'm curious to know for a very particular reason...**

**Until next time!**


	42. The Howling

**Disclaimer: Twilight is owned by Stephanie Meyer, my characters are owned by me. Do I make them better?**

**The Howling**

Today was the day; Alice and Cynthia would be heading over to La Push, home to yet another group of enemies to our family. Even though some weren't against us, most were because we were vampires, and in their eyes, vampires were the ultimate scum of the universe. That didn't bode well for Alice and Cynthia if the wolves discovered they were living with us.

Luckily, we knew ways to get around the wolves' detecting that, which was why Alice was currently on her phone calling Angela. We were in my room, Alice lying in my arms as we lay on my bed together. Her cell phone was pressed to her left ear as she waited for Angela to pick up, as I'd suggested calling Angela to ensure that no one mentioned Alice's relationship.

"Hey, Angela," Alice chirped when the phone stopped ringing.

"_Hi, Alice,"_ Angela replied. _"How's it going? Excited for today?"_

"You bet!" Alice replied. "My sister and I are both looking forward to some fun at the beach, especially since it's going to be nice and warm today. I was just calling to see how you were doing and to ask a favor about something when we go."

"_I'm doing fine,"_ Angela answered, a smile in her voice. _"Thank you for asking. What's the favor? Is it about Bella coming to join us?"_

Alice sighed. "No, my stinker of a girlfriend isn't coming. She's actually busy with her family today, but I'm cool with it. It does relate to her, however. Um…Angela, do you think it possible to keep our relationship on the down-low when we go? I know that sounds odd, but…"

"_Oh, not at all,"_ Angela replied. _"I've gone there in the past, so I know the natives aren't very fond of the Cullens. I've heard them talk about the Cullens before and I'm not happy about how they're treated since the Quileutes don't even know them. However, we've all learned not to talk about the Cullens, so don't sweat it. Your secret's safe. It's none of their business, anyways."_

"Thanks, Angela," Alice said, grinning. "I appreciate it. I'll see you soon. Bye."

"_Bye, Alice,"_ Angela said before both girls hung up.

"That went well," Alice remarked, smirking. "As I knew it would." She turned to me and kissed my cheek. "So now what? I've called Angela to make sure no one mentions that we're together, I plan on taking a super shower before I go…what else can I do?"

"My only suggestion is that you avoid bringing up our family with any of the natives," I replied, running my fingers through her hair. "And if you hear them talk crap about us, ignore it. I know you'll want to defend us, but the less they know, the better. I'm sorry you're in this position, Alice. I don't like having to tell you what to do."

"You're not," Alice giggled. "You're giving me suggestions, silly. But don't sweat it, I'll keep my lips zipped when it comes to the infamous Cullens. Don't expect me not to get on them for anything else, though. I don't tolerate bullshit anymore."

"That's good," I said. "You shouldn't."

"Tell me, why aren't they technically werewolves?" Alice asked, which was a bit random.

I shrugged. "I don't know, but from what Carlisle and Esme have explained, they weren't bitten to become what they are, they somehow received the ability years ago. There's a legend out there that a long time ago, some Quileute elders learned how to bind their souls to the bodies of wolves and it was passed down to what it is today. I have no clue, though."

"Weird," Alice said. "Do you know how vampires came into existence?"

"Ali, you're asking me questions that are way over my head," I laughed. "No, I've often wondered how, but I don't know how vampires came to exist. Carlisle and Esme believe it has to do with a mixture of evolution and God, Jasper thinks it's scientific, and I'm pretty sure Riley believes we were something else before, but evolved in a different way into what we are."

"Jeez," Alice breathed. "It'd be interesting to see when the first vampires existed. I mean, there's bound to be some vampires in the world that have lived for thousands of years. Maybe they've met vampires older than them who would know? It leaves a lot to the imagination."

"Maybe that's a good thing," I said. "If we knew, it wouldn't make it a secret anymore. Then what would vampires spend their time pondering about?"

Alice giggled. "You're strange, Bella."

"So are you," I replied, poking her in the stomach, making her giggle again. "What would you like to do once this little event is over with? Go out to see a movie?"

She looked at me with glistening eyes. "How about shopping?"

"We can do that any day, Alice," I chuckled. "I mean something…romantic."

"I think a night in the forest with you would be lovely," Alice replied. "Honestly, I don't mind either way, so long as we're together. I don't care if we're snuggling under the stars or doing body shots—being with you is all that matters."

"Body shots, huh?" I asked, grinning. "There's an idea."

Alice blinked, her cheeks reddening slightly. "R-really?"

"We'll see," I replied with a wink. "Now, shouldn't you be getting ready?"

"Yeah, probably," Alice sighed, kissing my cheek before rolling off the bed. "How exactly am I going to manage not smelling like you or your house?"

"We can't hug, for one thing," I said sadly. "We're guessing if you and Cynthia roll your windows down when you drive, it'll air out whatever scent is left after your showers. I suggest taking Cynthia's car, since none of us have been in it since we brought it here."

Alice pouted. "Well that stinks."

"Sorry, Ali," I snickered, sitting up. She was cute when she pouted.

Alice came to sit on my lip and kissed me. "I like when you call me Ali. It's cute."

"I heard your sister saying it," I said. "I wasn't sure if you minded or not."

"Not at all," Alice murmured, kissing me again. I cupped her cheeks and kissed her back for several minutes before pulling away, smiling against her mouth. "I guess I'll go shower. Can you at least see me off or is that going to leave your scent on me?"

I rolled my eyes. "Alice, that's a dumb question to ask. You know I will."

"Asking never hurt anybody," Alice pointed out, winking. "I'll be back, then."

She flitted out of my room to go take her shower as I stood and ran a hand through my hair. I didn't fully like the idea of Alice and Cynthia being by themselves with the wolves, but I was content with the knowledge that Raina wouldn't let any harm befall them. There would be hell to pay if anything happened, though, they could be certain of that.

I headed downstairs to wait for Alice to finish, entering the family room, where most of my siblings were playing video games, as they usually did. I figured I would join them for a change after Alice and Cynthia left, since I hadn't for quite some time.

"Everything okay, Bella?" Jasper asked.

"Yeah," I replied. "A bit nervous, but I'll get over it, I'm sure. Where're Jane and Riley?"

"They went out to hunt," Victoria replied. "They'll be back in a while, since I'm guessing they'll be out for a lot longer than a regular hunting session."

"Are you worried about Alice and Cynthia being with the mongrels?" Rosalie asked.

I nodded. "I don't like it, but there's nothing I can do about it."

"You could tell them not to go?" Emmett suggested.

I shook my head. "No, Em. That'd be wrong of me. I want them to go so they can enjoy their human lives since they've both chosen to become vampires. I also want them to have fun with their own kind. I just wish I could be there with them, but the wolves and the weather outside are preventing me from it. It sucks."

"Just have faith," Rosalie said. "Alice and Cynthia are intelligent women. They'll be fine."

_It's not them I'm worried about_, I thought. Time passed and soon both Alice and Cynthia came downstairs wearing light clothing as they came to stand in the foyer. I stood and walked over to them, but didn't get too close for fear of my scent sticking to the girls.

"What do you think?" Alice asked, twirling around for me. "Do I look sexy or what?"

I appraised her attire, which consisted of a crop top and shorts, taking in the sight of her toned midriff and amazing legs. I wanted to pounce on her, but I kept that urge in check and simply stared at her like she was completely naked—which I wished she was.

"You look hot," I said, forcing my eyes to meet hers. "You'd look hot in _anything_ you wore."

Alice smirked. "Why thank you, you're quite right."

Cynthia rolled her eyes. "If you'd rather have a moment with your girlfriend, Ali, I can leave you here and have fun in the sun without you."

"You look hot too, Cynthia," I said, causing the blonde girl to blush slightly.

"Th-thanks," Cynthia replied.

Alice put her hands on her hips. "Do I detect embarrassment, Cynthia? Why would you be embarrassed by a sexy woman like Bella giving you such a nice compliment, hmm?"

Cynthia's cheeks reddened more and she ducked away. "Sh-shut up, Alice! Let's go, already."

Alice giggled devilishly before turning to me. "Bye, Bella. I'll see you later."

"Call me if anything comes up, okay?" I asked.

"Of course," she replied. "Bye everyone!"

My siblings bid the duo goodbye as Cynthia did the same. Carlisle and Esme came downstairs to wish them well, then they departed from the house and were driving off soon after. I watched them leave and sighed, feeling like a part of me had just vanished from existence even though I knew otherwise. I hated the feeling, but there was nothing I could do about it.

Esme wrapped her arm around me and pulled me into a motherly embrace. "It'll be okay, dear."

"I know," I murmured, relaxing into my mother's arms and squeezing her.

We remained that way for several minutes before I pulled away. Esme kissed my forehead, then sauntered back upstairs with Carlisle, who gave my shoulder a tender squeeze, leaving me to head back into the family room with my siblings, their eyes glued to the TV screen.

I sat down next to Rosalie, who pulled me close to her with her left arm without looking away from what she was doing. I smiled and rested my head under her chin, cuddling up with my best friend and closest sister, something we hadn't done in weeks.

"I missed this," Rosalie said softly, briefly kissing my forehead.

"So did I," I replied.

I saw her grin out of my peripheral view. "I think Cynthia's bisexual."

My eyes widened as I stared at her. "That's a random comment to make, Rose."

She shrugged. "I noticed it a while back; I simply chose not to say anything until now. I've seen her sneaking glances at me on occasion and Jane said she thought Cynthia was staring at her ass when they went into town for the sex hounds' visit. I find it rather odd, but at the same time, I'm not really all that surprised given her sister's a lesbian."

"What does that have to do with it?" Jasper inquired, genuinely curious.

"It's obvious that the only person Alice has ever gushed about is Bella," Rosalie replied. "It would be to the point where it drove her sister insane, but at the same time, it's bound to have made Cynthia a bit curious, yes? Therefore, she must've experimented in some way and I'm fairly certain she liked it, though she hasn't admitted it to herself yet."

"Oh joy," Victoria snorted. "Another Bella situation."

I scowled. "Hey, cut me some slack, okay? I never thought about it until that moment."

"Too bad she and Alice are sisters," Emmett said. "Otherwise, I'd suggest a threesome."

Rosalie smacked his shoulder. "Emmett…just shut up."

"What?" he whined. "Why am I the only person here who thinks that would be hot?"

"You aren't," Jasper snickered. "You're just the only one who doesn't know when to keep his—or her—mouth shut about it, Em. I mean, given how often Rosalie gives you those light smacks, I would think you'd get it through your head by now that she's not fond of your comments."

Emmett huffed. "I was hoping one day Rose would agree with me."

"I never said I didn't," Rosalie stated, causing all four of us to gape at her. She frowned. "What? Just because I'm straight doesn't mean I can't appreciate a woman's body, and it doesn't mean I don't find the idea of a threesome enticing. The only reason I smacked you was because of your idiotic statement about involving Alice's sister. Think first, Em."

"Thinking isn't his strong suit," Victoria chortled.

"Being strong is my strong suit," Emmett said, grinning ear to ear.

"Considering the fact that your wife equals you in physical strength, I would reconsider that bit, Em," I chuckled, amused and a little intrigued by what I'd just heard.

"Actually, to bring this conversation to a more serious note, I'm curious about how you plan to go about turning Alice and Cynthia," Rosalie remarked. "Do you intend to turn them yourself? Who will be turned first? When? These are all things you need to take into consideration, Belly."

"I won't be turning them," I said, shaking my head. "I don't have the control for it, Rose. I've been good recently by keeping my thoughts on things other than their blood, which has helped immensely for me, but if I were to taste their blood, I'd lose it for sure. No, I was hoping Carlisle and Esme would turn the girls. My guess is Cynthia would be the first to be turned."

"Why Cynthia?" Emmett asked.

"Because she's the older sister," I replied. "I don't know why, that just makes more sense."

"It's the older sibling mentality," Jasper said. "Turning Cynthia first is more reasonable because when she's learned to control herself, she'll be able to help Alice better when she turns. Plus, we all know Cynthia is highly protective of her sister, so turning her would give her the means to make certain her sister stays protected."

"If she doesn't go on a mass killing spree, that is," Victoria added.

"As for Alice, I was aiming for after she graduates," I said. "She'll be going to school in the future when we all move, yes, but she can only graduate as a human once. I figured she would be able to better enjoy the experience that way. We'll talk more in depth about it soon, I'm sure."

"She needs to enjoy her human life as much as possible," Rosalie agreed. "None of us had that chance for one reason or another, but that's over and done with. They have the chance that we never had, which is something I want to stress to them. They need to feel fulfilled before they transcend to immortality since there's no going back."

I nodded in agreement and smiled at the knowledge that Rosalie's opinion of being a vampire had changed so drastically from what it had been years ago. I remembered when she was first turned; she'd been full of bitterness and anguish over how she'd been transformed and that bitterness remained with her for many years.

But over time, she'd learned to put her bitterness behind her and grew to enjoy being a vampire like the rest of us. In fact, it was mostly because of me that she did, namely because as the older sister, she felt the need to protect me and comfort me due to my own bitterness and inner demons, which I fought with for a lot longer. She saved me, as I saved her, in a way.

I knew in my heart that Alice would become a vampire, which meant that we would be together forever, regardless of the dangers that awaited us, including the Volturi. It didn't matter, though; I accepted the knowledge and would do my best to help her when the time came.

I pushed the thoughts of my head and enjoyed my time with my siblings. Emmett was eventually forced to give up his controller to me, allowing me the chance to play games for a change, which was extremely fun. It was easy for me to get back into it, and soon we were holding miniature competitions amongst ourselves over who would win, sometimes even making bets.

Four hours of this passed, and while I'd won only a few times, I couldn't erase the smile from my face as I forfeited my controller over to Jasper. I felt a faint burn in my throat at that point in time, so I decided to head out into the forest to hunt. Since Carlisle and Esme had established a rule about going alone, Emmett and Rosalie decided to go with me, as they were hungry too.

The three of us left the house and headed out to find some animal to feast on. It didn't take long for me to catch sight of a few deer, but for once, I wasn't in the mood for deer. I wanted something else for a change, something more…challenging.

I passed the deer by as Rosalie and Emmett attacked them and continued further into the forest until I caught sight of my intended target: a mountain lion. The lion growled when it noticed me, but I didn't give it the chance to attack first. I lunged for it and tackled the beast to the ground, wrestling around with it as it roared and thrashed about, struggling to get away.

"Poor kitty," I chuckled. "You can't do a thing against me, can you?"

I broke its neck seconds later, then sank my teeth into it to drain its blood, moaning a tiny bit as I did until I'd drained it dry. Once I'd finished, I tossed the lifeless body aside and wiped my mouth before staring out into the woods silently in thought.

With a shrug, I rejoined Rosalie and Emmett, who had just finished. "Man, I wish there were more grizzlies around here," Emmett said. "They're more fun to kill then a bunch of deer."

"We take what we can get," Rosalie replied. "Come on, let's get back."

"I should call Alice," I said. "Just to see how she and Cynthia are doing."

"No reason you shouldn't," Rosalie remarked.

The three of us headed back to the house and walked inside. Jane and Riley had returned and were sitting in the family room together when I walked in. No sooner had I sat down did my cell phone, which I'd left on the table, starting vibrating. Scowling, I immediately grabbed it.

"Hello?" I asked.

"_Hi, Bella,"_ Alice replied on the other end.

"Hey, Alice," I said, smiling. "I was just getting ready to call and see how things were."

"_Um, mostly fine,"_ she said and I knew there was something up.

"Mostly fine?" I asked. "Alice, did something happen?"

Alice sighed. _"I'm sorry, Bella. I couldn't stop myself."_

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

"_I may have badmouthed one of the natives,"_ she replied sheepishly. _"Okay, more than one, and I kind of got physical with them, but they were talking shit about you and your family. I tried to hold myself together and I did for a while, I swear. Then one of them made a really insulting remark about you in particular and I lost it. It blew my cover and now we're in a bit of trouble."_

"Where's Cynthia?" I asked. "What about your other friends? Have they hurt anyone?"

"_No,"_ Alice replied. _"Everyone else is fine. They're still out surfing right now, in fact, since none of them saw what I did. Cynthia's next to me, scowling at me. The Alpha…Raina, I think her name is, took us inside to her home while she went to calm down her pack members, who were seething when they found out you and I were together. I'm sorry."_

"_I mean, they said you were monsters and murderers and that we were going to die just from being near you. They called Carlisle and Esme a lot of things I can't even make myself repeat, and when they made an off remark about you, I just lost it. I saw red and the next thing I know, I'm looking down at four boys on the ground with bloody faces…"_

I stood. "It's okay, Alice. I probably would've done the same thing had it been me."

"Raina said to ask if you and your parents could come here," Alice said, and I could tell she was still feeling guilty. "She wants you to explain what's going on to their council, because apparently the council is taking it the wrong way. I don't know the whole thing, but I had a vision and they didn't seem happy about it."

I started up the stairs as she finished speaking. "I'll grab them and we'll be there as soon as possible. Thankfully, it's not as sunny as I thought it would be. Don't worry, Alice. You don't have to feel bad. Stay with Cynthia, okay?"

"_Okay,"_ she replied. _"Bella, I—"_

"Apologize one more time and I'll tickle you for three full hours," I warned.

She snorted. _"I wasn't going to apologize. I was going to say drive careful."_

"We always do," I said. "I love you. Bye."

"_Love you too,"_ she murmured.

I hung up and knocked on the door to Carlisle and Esme's study room, which opened barely even a second later as Esme poked her head out, noticing the expression on my face.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Alice accidentally revealed her ties to us," I replied. "They said something that pissed her off, so she attacked them for it. Personally, I would have loved to see it, but now the wolves are pissy and the council's upset. The Alpha asked that the three of us go over there to clear the air."

Esme pursed her lips. "Oh dear. Well, we'd best get over there, shouldn't we?"

Carlisle was at the doorway instantly. "I'm not wholly surprised given the bond we have with our mates and the usual behavior of some of the Quileutes. I'm thankful there are some who aren't fully against us, however. Has anyone been injured?"

"Thanks to Alice, a few of the natives, but aside from them, no," I answered.

He nodded. "Let us go, then. The sooner we get there, the better."

We were downstairs in a flash, but Jasper and Victoria were waiting at the door for us. "We're coming with you," Jasper said. "My gift will help calm the tempers of the wolves that get too overly agitated and Victoria's good insurance to have just in case." He winked at her.

No one argued with that point, so we all departed with Esme telling the others to keep a watchful eye on the house since they'd all hunted. We took Emmett's jeep, since it fit the most people into it, and drove off to La Push. I hoped things wouldn't get ugly, but I prepared myself just in case, since no damned dogs would get between me and my mate's safety.

It didn't take long for us to arrive at the "treaty line," an invisible line that split our territory and the wolves' territory in half. Carlisle pulled the jeep to the side of the road and parked it as the rest of us jumped out, knowing the wolves would smell us and come running.

"I should've worn something different," Victoria grumbled. "Their stench _attaches_ to clothing."

"Could be worse," I offered.

She snorted. "It's still stinky."

"Be nice, dear," Esme said. "Until they start in with the insults, that is."

Just as Esme finished speaking, a gust of wind blew towards us and I caught a whiff of the horrid stench from the wolves' bodies that permeated the air. It was a mixture of week-old wet dog and rotting garbage, which would have ruined a human's nose had they been able to pick up on it. I grimaced as several people approached us at a steady pace.

There were five of them in total, Raina, their Alpha, standing in the center. She was a tall woman—even taller than Amara!—with short black hair and an attractive, though fearsome, physique. She moved the closest to us, her arms resting at her sides as she looked between us before her gaze settled squarely on me.

"Hello, Cullens," she greeted us in a neutral voice.

"Greetings, Raina," Carlisle replied. "How are you, today?"

"I'm well," she replied with a nod. "Your name is Bella, yes?"

"Yes," I answered.

"I've met your mate," Raina said. "She's a very lovely young woman and it's clear she cares about you a great deal. And judging from the bruises on the boys she beat up, she's got a bit of a temper in her and a mean left hook." She smiled. "I like that."

"I wish I'd been here to see it," I admitted with a shrug, receiving a few growls from the four boys who surrounded Raina, though she silenced them with a look.

"They got what they deserved, no doubt," Raina said. "However, the council is concerned and they would like to speak with you about the whole situation, as you would expect. I figured it would be best if you came to explain it rather than them jumping to the wrong conclusion. For that reason, you've all been granted access to our land. This way, please."

She turned on her heel and we followed her onto the wolves' territory, the other wolves with her keeping their distance and crinkling their noses, glaring us down just in case we tried anything. I rolled my eyes at the display and moved closer to Raina, doing my best to ignore her scent.

"Are you the only female wolf?" I asked.

Raina chuckled. "No, there are about five others total. You'll probably see them around if you look, since the arrival of vampires on our land is bound to have them curious."

"Interesting," I replied with a nod, which I meant despite everything else.

I stuffed my hands in my pockets as we kept moving, glancing briefly at the rest of my family, before returning my gaze to Raina, who kept at it until we came to a large building that I assumed to be the place where their council was waiting.

Before we could go inside, another wolf appeared from within, one with a face similar to Raina's, though his was younger and much more masculine. He was a bit shorter than she was and didn't bother putting a shirt on, allowing his distasteful chest to be exposed. And it was clear from the way he walked: he thought he was hot as hell.

"What is it, Jacob?" Raina asked.

_I remember him_, I thought. _He's Raina's annoying little brother._

I recalled in the past when we first met Raina that Jacob, her brother, was present and constantly insulted us and tried to pick fights. He'd attacked me on a few occasions while I was hunting, then run off and he was known for getting on our nerves and making us look worse than we already did with the other wolves until Raina shut him up.

What really stood out as his defining qualities, however, were his arrogance and narcissistic behaviors. He thought he was God's gift to the women of the world and that he was the best looking guy in all of Washington, too. It made me wish I could puke.

He crossed his arms, flexing while he did. "I wanted to make sure you didn't get attacked."

"How very likely," Raina deadpanned. "Move aside, Jake. And put a damn shirt on, would you?"

"My shirt got torn," he said with a shrug, smirking.

Raina rolled her eyes and pushed him aside like he was a sack full of paper. "Move it, meat head. We have more important business to deal with than your gross muscle display. Why don't you go patrol the area with Sam to keep yourself busy?" She turned to us and inclined her head inside as she walked in. "They're waiting in here, Cullens."

"You'd better watch yourselves, leeches," Jacob grunted, puffing himself up.

"Or what?" Victoria asked. "You'll put a shirt on?"

"Here's some advice," Jasper said. "Chest hair isn't attractive, pal."

"Looks like someone needs better grooming tips," I snickered as the wolf scowled.

Without another word, we followed Raina, Carlisle and Esme going in first, followed by me, then Jasper and Victoria last. Once inside, I saw Alice and Cynthia on the side of the room chatting with one of the natives who I assumed to be a wolf. I headed over to them, but noticed that this girl didn't reek the way the others did.

_Must not be a wolf_, I mused inwardly.

"Bella!" Alice chirped when she saw me, immediately rushing over to hug me. I leaned down and kissed her fully on the lips, not caring who was around us or looking. Once I pulled away, Alice smiled warmly at me. "I guess I should learn to control my temper, huh?"

I smiled back at her. "Where's the fun in that, though?"

She giggled. "True. I did kind of like beating them up, too."

"It was quite a sight to watch," remarked the girl she and Cynthia had been talking with. She was roughly six feet tall with short black hair and, much like Raina, an attractive physique. She appraised me with curious eyes for a moment before smiling. "Wow. I've never seen a vampire up close before. You're a lot more attractive than I've heard."

"She is, isn't she?" Alice agreed.

I cocked my head to the side. "Um…who are you?"

"I'm Leah," she said, offering me her hand, which I shook. "Leah Clearwater. My dorky little brother's a wolf in the pack and I used to date the Alpha's mate Sam. Unfortunately, I'm not a wolf, which stinks. I wish I was, it'd help me keep my little brother safe. But, uh, yeah, I saw your girlfriend beat the shit out of a few boys who were talking crap about you. Your girl's got quite the fire in her."

"I'm glad to hear it," I said, kissing Alice's forehead as she hugged me. I turned to Cynthia, who was staring at the ground with a troubled expression on her face. "You okay, Cynthia?"

"Huh?" She blinked and looked up. "Oh, yeah. I'm good."

Leah smirked. "Your name is Bella, right?"

"Yeah," I replied. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," she crooned. "I'm going to go tell my brother I met a vampire. He's going to be jealous as hell. It was nice meeting you girls." She winked at both Alice and Cynthia. "Later."

She left shortly after and I ran a hand through my hair. "What just happened?"

"We met a really cool girl who isn't a biased douchebag," Alice chirped happily.

"Excuse me," Raina said, grabbing our attention. She was standing by a door, her gaze moving around each of us. "I hate to interrupt your conversations, but the council will see you now."

**A/N: Oh Alice, you and your beating the crap out of people. It makes me smile. xD**

**I wanted to bring the wolves in because I like the concept as them as frenemies. In the case of Raina, since I didn't do her enough justice in Blood Solstice, I wanted her to be the Alpha here, as she is meant to be. Expect her to be a prominent ally of the Cullens in the future. And Leah, as you can tell...she's not a wolf! Yet. ;)  
**

**Here's another random question...I know most (if not all) of you are femslash readers/lovers. I am too. But, let us pretend that you are forced to read a straight pairing story of Bella. Excluding Edward (who most of you hate, as he deserves it) and Jacob (who is equally hated, I would assume, as he deserves it too), what male character would you want to see Bella with? Jasper? Emmett? I'm curious. **

**Until next time. :D**


	43. Problem Solving

**Disclaimer: Usual bit. Twilight doesn't belong to me, yadda yadda. My characters and ideas do. Everyone knows this. **

**Problem Solving**

Carlisle and Esme led the rest of us through the doorway as we followed Raina into the next room, where a small group of elders sat in an arranged circle. Some of them seemed apprehensive when they saw us, but most remained calm, methodical even.

"Greetings, Cullens," said one, a man in a wheelchair. He was at the center of the circle, Raina moving to stand behind him. He looked up and smiled at her. "Thank you, Raina, for bringing them here and for calming the others. Their short tempers would have only turned a small issue into a bigger, messier one. Did you see your brother, by chance?"

"I sent him off to be with Sam," Raina replied. "He was being an ass, as usual."

The man chuckled. "Oh, that boy. I'll have a talk with him later about his mannerisms." He then turned to address us. "Please, have a seat, Cullens. There's no need to stand. This isn't meant to be an unwelcome meeting; we simply wish to clear the air."

"Thank you," Carlisle said, seating himself along with Esme.

I sat next to Esme, Alice by me and Cynthia by her. Jasper and Victoria remained standing behind us, likely in case they were needed to quell any arguments that broke out. The man in the wheelchair didn't seem to mind it as he cleared his throat.

"My name is Billy Black," he said. "I'm Raina's father and, in a way, the Chieftain of the Quileute people here on La Push. Personally, I don't see myself being Chief since I'm nowhere near as young and strong as my daughter here, but I will do what I can to help. As you know, it's come to our attention that one of these young ladies is mated to one of you. Is that true?"

"Yes," Esme replied, wrapping an arm around me. "Our daughter Bella has been lucky enough to find her mate in Miss Alice Brandon, the girl sitting next to her. Both she and her sister Cynthia are now guests at our home following a dispute with their parents, whom they've broken away from due to their parents being…less than desirable, shall we say."

Billy nodded understandably. "The old parental rebellion, I take it. Ho! That brings back memories, eh, Raina?"

Raina rolled her eyes. "I have no clue what you mean."

"Actually, sir, it's not so much a rebellion as it is they're shitty parents," Alice said. "They threw me in a mental institution for several years and have been very manipulative of my sister and me because they believe their way is superior to giving us free will."

"All the more reason to leave, then," Billy remarked. "It's a shame when parents do that to their children. It ruins the bond between parent and child and in some cases, drives the child into doing things that aren't considerably wise." He sighed as Raina placed a hand on his shoulder. "At any rate, I only have one question for you. Do you intend to turn these two girls?"

I looked at Carlisle and Esme for a brief moment. "Yes," Carlisle replied. "They've both expressed interest in joining our family in full, as a matter of fact."

"Preposterous!" remarked one of the other council members, a thin man with a large nose. "Doing so would not only break the treaty you signed, but it would also put the life of every human in this town at risk! It cannot be allowed!"

"Calm yourself, Edgar," said one of the two women in the council. "This is the kind of reaction we're trying to avoid in this type of situation."

"How can he be calm, Sue?" asked another man. "They're defying the rules we set out for them."

"We haven't defied anything yet," Victoria scoffed.

"That may be true, but I have to agree partially with Edgar's statement," Billy said. "We know from past experience that newborn vampires are unruly and have a difficult time controlling themselves. Even with skilled vampires such as yourselves who can help keep them in check, there's always the chance that they may slip up regardless."

"It's the nature of the beast," Sue, the women who spoke before, agreed. "The wolves have similar issues to deal with when they're young, primarily their tempers. However, your kind is more powerful and it's clear that dealing with newborn vampires is more difficult."

"Very true," Carlisle said. "Esme and I have been giving it some thought as of late and while we haven't had this discussion with the girls yet, we have considered taking them to our friends in Denali, Alaska to be changed. That way, it wouldn't be breaking the treaty and they would be away from human civilization as they learned to adjust to their new lives."

"Our friends in Denali have experience in this area as well," Esme added. "But, as my husband stated, we haven't finalized the details yet. We may end up moving to Alaska for a time or to another location away from humans to help train the girls. Either way, unless the circumstance calls for it, it would be pre-planned to ensure there were no large difficulties."

"A fair statement," Sue remarked. "So long as these young ladies wish to be turned and you do the best you can at helping them, I have no problems with it."

"Nor do I," Billy said. "I realize it can be hard for a newborn vampire, even though I've never been one, nor has anyone in my family. That said, I'm willing to forgo the treaty in this case." He turned to appraise Alice and Cynthia. "Do the two of you truly wish to become vampires?"

"Yes," Alice said without a shred of doubt. "I want to be with Bella for eternity and I've grown to see the Cullens as my family, the family I've always wanted."

Cynthia nodded. "I'm with my sister, no matter what. And I agree: I like the Cullens a lot and I think they're awesome people. Being a part of their family would be a huge honor. To be honest though, as long as my sister is happy, that's what I care about most."

Alice kissed her sister's cheek. "Your happiness is important too, Cynth."

"I know, but I put yours above mine," her sister replied, hugging Alice while I watched on with a smile. "And since Bella makes you happy and you want to be a vampire, I know you'll want me as a vampire, so that's what I'll do."

"What rubbish," grumbled another council member. "Are we truly going to let this pass?"

"Let's have a vote," Billy said. "Raina, as Alpha, your opinion counts as well. I say we allow the Cullens to turn them into vampires, so long as they do their best to keep them in check."

"Yes," Raina said. "I won't begrudge lovers from being together forever and the obvious love the two of you have as sisters is touching."

"Yes," Sue said.

The other council members gave their vote, with four men saying "no," while the others all agreed to the terms Billy Black had provided. It was rather surprising to see them allowing Cynthia and Alice to be turned given the overall disdain towards vampires the Quileutes seemed to have, but it made everything much easier to deal with.

"Then it's settled," Billy stated once the other members had voiced their opinions. "You're allowed to turn these two into vampires under the conditions provided. Now, I believe there is one other thing to discuss before you're free to go. Sue?"

"Recently, there have been several deaths that we've heard about nearby," Sue said. "One of them happened to be a native of our land and it's got us concerned. Do you know anything about what's going on? Are there more vampires in the area?"

"There are," Esme admitted. "They're enemies of ours as of several days ago, in fact. When we first met them, they claimed to be willing to work with us, but recent events have shown their true colors. We now know them to be against us, working with a vampire that our daughter has been after for many years. We don't know what they're planning, but we intend to stop them."

"Not just stop them," Jasper said. "Kill them as well."

"I don't believe it for a second," one of the elders said. "What proof do we have that you aren't orchestrating these attacks? None! We have your word and what good does that do us if you decided to turn against us, hmm?"

"What good would come from us turning on you?" Carlisle asked.

"Your wolves outnumber our numbers," Esme added. "Therefore, it would be pointless. Besides, we have more to gain from working together than we do going against one another."

"I happen to agree," Billy said. "Perhaps we could…assist each other in this regard?"

"Just a moment!" the man named Edgar interjected. "Billy, you can't be considering such a foolish notion! Us working with them? That's madness!"

"I believe Carlisle Cullen's words hold true," Billy replied. "A partnership is better in case our enemies' numbers are greater than our own. We may have numerous wolves, but most are young and untrained in how to fight vampires. We have to be cautious and intelligent in how we deal with big issues like this one and having more allies would be one such method."

"Would you rather we be left defenseless, fool?" Sue chided her fellow council member.

"I…no, I don't, but…" Edgar couldn't come up with a good response and smartly shut up.

"We'll keep you up to date with our findings," Billy said. "Will you do the same?"

"Of course," Esme replied with a pleasant smile. "Thank you."

"I believe that is all we have to discuss, yes?" Billy asked, glancing around the council. "No? Then I thank you for your time and patience, Cullens. Raina, please escort them off the border to ensure none of the wolves try anything, please?"

"Of course, dad," she replied.

"Thank you for being reasonable," I said, bowing my head.

Sue smiled and nodded. "Take care of the woman you love."

"I plan to," Alice interjected before I could reply. I turned to see her smirking. "Once I'm immortal, that is. Until then, you can continue doing as you have, my love."

I rolled my eyes and took her hand in mine as Raina departed from the room, the rest of us following after her. It didn't take us long to head outside, back into the midst of a mass of the horrid stench as there were more wolves present now, all of them bickering amongst themselves until they saw us, at which point they stopped.

The shirtless wolf from before, Raina's brother, stepped forward. "So, what'd they decide?"

"To leave the Cullens be," Raina replied. "Which I think is the right decision."

"What?" Jacob gasped. "Fucking seriously?"

"Yes," Raina said. "Leave it be, Jacob. It's no big deal. Drop it."

"Drop it?" He clenched his fists and scowled. "Raina, why are you defending them? We shouldn't be allowing humans to fraternize with their kind, you know that!"

"What's your problem, mutt?" I hissed.

Jacob growled at me, but Raina stopped him from stepping forward. "_**Enough**_, Jacob." The wolf grimaced, but obeyed her words and stepped away. "All of you, back off. Go back to doing whatever you were doing before and drop the subject. _**Now**_."

The wolves all cleared out within minutes, allowing us a cleared path back to our territory. As we started walking, I noticed Leah, the girl from before, walking towards us. She nodded to Raina and stopped in front of Alice and Cynthia, smirking at them.

"Here's my number in case you girls want to hang some time," Leah said, handing her number to each of them. She turned to me and grinned. "And I don't mind hanging out with you, either."

"Fine by me," I replied.

Leah's smirk grew. "Sweet."

"Thanks, Leah," Alice said. "Hanging out with you was fun."

Cynthia nodded in agreement. "Um, shouldn't we go tell the others we're leaving?"

"Oh!" Alice lightly smacked her forehead. "Crap, I almost forgot. Yeah, we should."

"We'll wait in the jeep," I said, kissing Alice's forehead, then Cynthia's. "Take your time."

"You go ahead," Victoria said. "Jazz and I are going to just run back home. I need to wash the wolf stink off of me as soon as possible before I throw up."

"Vampires can't throw up, darlin'," Jasper chortled.

Victoria rolled her eyes. "Well, it feels like it if it were possible. Let's just go, the stench is getting unbearable and we know Rosalie's going to complain about it."

"See you two back at the house," I said. They nodded and bolted off without another word, moving past Raina, who had stopped walking and remained silent as she stared off into space. "By the way, thank you, Raina. Your support…it means a lot."

"You're welcome," she replied. "I'm only doing what I feel is right."

"Do you believe your fellow wolves will help us if the need arises?" Carlisle asked.

Raina shrugged. "Willingly? Most probably wouldn't because they're biased as hell. However, if their families and friends are put in danger because of other vampires and teaming up with your family is the best way to protect them, they'll help, whether or not they like it. And if all else fails, I can order them to fight and keep them in line while doing so."

"It's a shame so many wolves hate us for what we are," Esme remarked. "We've never deliberately gone against them, nor do we purposefully kill humans. It's not who we are."

"It's old hatreds boiling over," Raina said. "In time, as they grow older as wolves, they'll probably wise up a bit. It took me a few years to realize you weren't the bloodsucking monstrosities I'd been led to believe you were by certain council members."

"Do you think they'll ever change their tune?" I asked.

Raina sighed. "Probably not, no. They're very…old fashioned in their beliefs, I guess would be the best way to describe it. They grew up in a time when vampires were our enemy. In fact, most of the council members were wolves at one point, including my father. But they retired after years of fighting and death became too much, which is why they feel so strongly."

I frowned. "I thought wolves healed whatever injuries they received?"

"You're referring to my father, no doubt?" Raina asked and I nodded. "True, we regenerate instantly whenever we're injured, but my father gave up being a wolf prior to the injury. If he chose to, he could probably heal himself since his wolf blood still remains, but I don't think he wants to. I think he believes his injury is what made him a changed man."

I was still a bit confused, but I noticed Raina sneak a glance at Carlisle and Esme, who seemed to understand exactly what she was talking about. I considered asking, then chose against it and simply waited for Alice and Cynthia to return, which didn't take long.

Once the two rejoined us, we made our away over the borderline and, after thanking Raina again, got into Emmett's jeep, Esme driving this time around. Alice rested her head on my shoulder and I wrapped my arm around her as I brushed my nose against her spiky locks.

"Were you able to find out when the full moon is?" I asked, kissing her forehead.

"Wednesday night," Alice replied. "That gives us a chance to have some bonding time together, at least, something I'm quite thankful for."

_Wednesday night_, I said inwardly. _Good to know._

"When do you want to go out?" Alice asked, nudging me with her shoulder.

"Tomorrow night," I replied. "How does that sound?"

"Ooh, that sounds great!" she chirped happily.

_Now I just have to figure out what to do with her_, I mused. _It has to be something fun that we haven't done yet, but what? I'll have to ask my siblings for ideas. And I have to make sure she doesn't spoil it for herself beforehand by looking into the future, which I know she will._

When we arrived back at the house, I sauntered inside along with Alice and Cynthia just as Jasper and Victoria were coming down the stairs wearing new clothes. Knowing Rosalie would make a fuss about the wolf stench emanating from us, I decided I would run upstairs and take a quick shower, then give the girls a chance to re-shower once again.

"Going to shower?" Jasper asked.

"Yup," I replied. "Then again, I could go and bug the drama queen for a while…"

"If you come in here, I'll kick your ass!" Rosalie shouted. "You stink!"

I grinned. "Now I'm even more tempted to go bother you, Rose. But I'll be a good sister and go shower away the horrid smell. This time, at least." While my other siblings laughed, I headed upstairs to shower, but just as I reached for the door, I heard the sound of running and turned to see Alice dashing towards me. "What's wrong, Ali?"

"Nothing," she replied. "I have a question for you."

"What's that?" I asked.

She motioned towards the bathroom door, which I entered without a word, wondering what was on her mind that she had to share in the bathroom of all places. Once Alice closed the door behind her, I noticed her cheeks were turning a light shade of pink as she began fidgeting with her fingers. It was cute to see her blushing, but it still left me confused.

"I…well, the thing is…" Alice bit her lip. "Can I…take a shower with you?"

My eyes widened and, if possible, I would've blushed. "You want to take a shower with me?"

"Y-yes," she replied shyly. "Would that be okay?"

_Where is this coming from? _I wondered. Suddenly the realization that I would be able to see Alice naked and my excitement level shot through the roof. _God, I'm perverted, but damn it, I've wanted to see this girl's body since she teased me that day!_

"If you don't want too, I understand…" Alice mumbled, clearly embarrassed by her own words.

"N-no, I don't mind at all," I said, running a hand through my hair. "I'd love to shower with you, Alice. It would be…fun." Her entire face reddened even more and I held in my desire to coo at how adorable she looked as she continued to nervously chew on her bottom lip. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. "Yes, I am. I figure I've teased you long enough."

"Funny, I was just thinking about that," I said. "So…shall we?"

"May I lock the door?" she asked quietly.

I chuckled and kissed her forehead. "Of course, Alice."

She quickly moved to lock the bathroom door as I shrugged out of my clothes, stopping short of removing my bra as Alice turned around and gasped. I watched her eyes bulge outwards as they fixated on my chest area, then began trailing down to my stomach before stopping. I didn't hesitate when I removed the rest of my undergarments, causing Alice's mouth to fall open.

Standing in front of Alice naked was different; it was the first time I'd been in front of someone that wasn't family without any clothes on, and knowing this was Alice made it…I didn't know how to describe what I was feeling as Alice looked about ready to faint.

"Holy fuck you're sexy," she breathed, swallowing as her face reddened again.

I felt shyness come over me all of a sudden as I stepped into the shower. "Thank you, Ali."

Alice continued to gape at me. "Can I…stare at you for a while?"

"You can if you'd like," I replied, pushing away the awkward emotions in the back of my mind as I motioned for Alice to join me. "But I'd rather you be in here with me."

Alice hesitated for a moment before she disrobed completely, including her bikini, which she was still wearing, then stepped into the shower along with me. Seeing Alice's entire body was like looking at a masterpiece made by God himself: she was perfect in every way as my eyes slowly scrolled down her body, taking in the sight of her beauty.

"God, Alice," I said. "You're more perfect than I ever imagined."

Alice gave me the cutest smile. "Th-thanks."

"I…guess we should start the shower, huh?" I asked, more to myself than Alice as I closed the shower stall and started the shower up by turning on the hot water.

Neither of us could peel our eyes away from the other's body, since we were both transfixed by what we saw. I knew I was good looking, but I was surprised at the expression on Alice's face as she appraised me. However, that was hardly on my mind since I was too busy gawking at her, memorizing every inch of her body as I leaned in to press my lips to hers.

She kissed me back passionately as I allowed her to press my body to the wall, her hands coming to rest on my waist as mine did the same, our lips dancing against one another. One of my hands couldn't resist feeling her skin and, after briefly hovering over it for permission, reached down to gently grasp her ass while the other shot up to curl into her hair.

Alice's hands moved upwards and levitated over my breasts for several seconds, likely waiting for a show of approval or disapproval. Yearning to feel her touch me, I moved her closer, giving her the answer she needed. Her soft, warm hands cupped my breasts as we continued kissing, Alice going so far as to trace her tongue across my bottom lip.

"Breathe," Alice said against my mouth, at which point I pulled away to give her the chance to take in air, something I'd almost forgotten about. I opened my eyes and gazed into her pulsing crystal orbs as she took in several breaths. "God, Bella. This…this is fucking amazing."

I nodded in agreement, then went back to kissing her, allowing her tongue to snake into my mouth, both of us moaning in the process. I couldn't help but marvel at how soft her skin was—and how firm her rear was, too—while I allowed Alice to dominate my mouth with her tongue, which she was very skilled at, more so than I'd ever considered.

She ultimately pulled away from me and we resumed gazing into each other's eyes as we pressed our foreheads together, Alice swirling her fingers around my nipples, sending pleasant ripples through my body as my hands shifted around to do the same to her. My efforts were rewarded with a lovely moan emanating from my lovely human's mouth, which made me smile.

"Fuck!" Alice breathed. "Up until now, I dreamed of this…but now…it's actually happening."

I could hear her heart thundering in her chest as I leaned forward to lay kisses all over her face, but I was able to ignore it for the most part. It felt good to have our bodies pressed together and to be with Alice like this, so I wasn't about to let her heartbeat ruin the moment.

"You're so beautiful," I purred, moving down to her neck as the shower water continued cascading over us. Kissing her neck made her moan louder, meaning I'd likely found a hot spot that I would need to explore later on. "I honestly don't even care about the shower." The water helped, though, I had to give it that much credit.

I moved Alice so she was against the shower wall as I continued downwards, using my tongue to lap up droplets of water every now and again, which Alice loved. Her hands dug into my hair as I got to her breasts and began kissing circles around each, starting with the right one. The circles I made grew smaller until I reached the pink bud at the center, which I kissed tenderly.

Alice's hips bucked as she moaned again and I knew I'd found another hot spot. I grinned against her flesh and continued kissing the bud, even darting my tongue out every few seconds to tease it, which Alice loved and hated at the same time. I ended up moving to the left breast to do the same, receiving an even bigger reaction from my beloved human.

Eventually I continued my descent down her body, kissing all over the flat plain of her stomach before pausing at her adorable bellybutton. I kissed it once and felt Alice shudder, causing me to smirk; I'd found a third hotspot.

"Three hotspots in a row," I purred. "That's wonderful to know."

"Stop…_teasing_ me!" Alice whined.

"But then it's not as fun," I said, kissing her navel once again. Before I could go any lower, however, my ears picked up the sound of knocking on the bathroom door. Figuring whoever was knocking would realize the bathroom was preoccupied would go away, I continued until the sound of the door being unlocked reached my ears. "Damn it."

"Wha-oh, shit," Alice squeaked as the door opened.

I stood upright as Rosalie's head popped into the bathroom. "Hey!" she shouted. "I don't care how close you two were to getting laid, hurry the hell up and continue this somewhere else, will you? There are other people in this house that need to shower, because it fucking stinks in here!"

She closed the door before I could get a word in and I growled. "I'm going to kill her."

"Son of a bitch," Alice grumbled. Even though she was tomato-red again, I could tell she was fairly bummed out that our moment had been ruined. "This sucks."

"Sorry, Ali," I said. "Then again, I'm not surprised. Rose is always like this whenever the wolves are involved and we go to La Push. Still pisses me off, though."

"I guess we'd better shower, then," Alice sighed. "May I…wash you?"

"I'd like that," I replied, kissing her once more.

We proceeded to wash one another's bodies, then hugged and kissed for several more minutes before reluctantly turning the shower off and drying. I kissed Alice on the neck as she began using the blow dryer while I walked out with a towel wrapped around me, immediately blurring to my room to find a change of clothes.

Within no time, I was fully dressed and headed downstairs, scowling at the interruption and knowing full well I was going to get a number of remarks from my siblings. I walked into the living room and shot my closest sister a glare.

Rosalie looked at me innocently. "What's that look for?"

I punched her shoulder. "Ruining my moment with Alice, you ass."

"Sorry," she said, genuine sincerity flashing in her eyes.

I sighed. "Promise me you won't do that again, especially if you know Alice and I are in the middle of…something like that. I don't barge in on you and Emmett, do I?"

"No," Rosalie replied. "Look, I'll make it up to you, I promise. I couldn't stand the smell any longer, though. You know I have a sensitive nose, Bella. It's not the most fun thing to have, especially when that horrible stench is so overpowering."

"It's fine," I said, shaking my head. I was annoyed with her, but it would pass and I knew she would keep her promise to me; Rosalie was a woman of her word.

"Did Alice find out what she needed to?" Emmett inquired. I was honestly surprised he wasn't making a big deal out of what happened, but then, maybe Rosalie didn't say anything.

"Yes," I replied. "Wednesday night is the next full moon. That's when it goes down."

"Good," Jane said. She was sitting with Riley in the easy chairs. "Then Wednesday is the night I get my answers from Alec. I'll help catch that bastard Edward if I can, but my primary focus will be going after my brother. I won't need help, either, so the rest of you can help Bella."

"Sounds like a plan," Emmett crooned, cracking his knuckles.

"It's not a full plan yet," Riley said. "However, when the day nears, I'll help Jasper plot something for all of us to follow so there won't be any problems. Given our past experience as soldiers and in battle, it should be easy to form a decent strategy."

"Fine by me," I said. I glanced around to see if Alice was out of the bathroom, but couldn't pick up her scent, which was probably a good thing. "Hey guys?"

"Yes, Belly-Button?" Rosalie asked.

I rolled my eyes. "Do you think you could give me some ideas for what Alice and I can do together tomorrow? I want it to be romantic and different…something that'll help us get closer without there being any unnecessary interruptions." I shot a look at Rosalie to ensure that she got my drift. "Any ideas?"

**A/N: So, as you can see, I made the Council a bit nicer this time around, since it makes more sense then having them be completely villainous the way I did for Blood Solstice. I figured since Raina was good, I'd make Billy good and Sue (as usual) is good as well. I wouldn't expect the Council to play a big role or anything, but the wolves as a whole will in the future.**

**And yes, curse you Rosalie for ruining the moment, but I couldn't resist it. xD**

**Now then, side notes. One, I posted the second half of my Midnight Rain giftshot for talented author and friend A.S. Rainwater. I have also updated my profile a bit (not that it matters much) and I've got some future projects being planned out. Don't expect anything for a while, but, if I can help it, you'll be seeing more stories from me and they _won't_ be Bellice.**

**I have several questions for today's chapter. First, for those of you who like Raina, who do you see playing her when you think of her? I've recently decided that Rihanna will be my own persona Raina, at least until I can find someone new. What about you?**

**My second question: what do you think of the name "The Sanguine Skies" as the name of my novel series?**

**My last one...do any of you live in Juneau, Alaska? If you do, please PM me. I am basing my story there and I want to make sure I remain as truthful to the place as I can, unlike Meyer, who failed to do that for her story. **


	44. Passion Play

**Disclaimer: I take no claim for Twilight or its characters, but I do own my characters and ideas. **

**Passion Play**

Today was Monday, two days before the night I'd been waiting for since last week. The chance for me to catch and maybe even kill Edward loomed on the horizon, but for the time being, I was trying not to think about it. No, today was going to be all about Alice and me spending quality time together, and I aimed to make certain that was my priority.

"Are you positive you can get this done?" I asked. I was in Rosalie's room sitting with my blonde sister, who rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time and nodded.

"For the love of all things right in this world, yes," Rosalie replied. "Shit, Bella, how many damned times do you have to ask? It'll be fine. We'll do what we need, just do your best to keep your nosey mate out of the loop. You should just continue from where you left off yesterday?"

"You mean before you burst in on us?" I asked, arching an eyebrow.

She scowled. "Do you have to keep rubbing it in? Fuck, I apologized twenty times!"

"I'm kidding, Rose," I said, playfully nudging her. "I'll do my best."

"Bella, you're more romantic than you think," Rosalie said. "Do what feels natural, even if it doesn't incorporate what we helped you plan. And make Alice work for it, too. You shouldn't have to do everything in your relationship, after all."

"I'm sure Emmett would find that an interesting statement," I remarked.

"Please," Rosalie scoffed. "Emmett lives to worship me. But…between you and me, I've allowed myself to be wrapped around his finger behind closed doors. It's only fair that way."

"So…uh…" I ran a hand through my hair. "Speaking of yesterday and all, I've…been meaning to ask you a question. Do you think if Alice and I…you know…"

"Had sex?" Rosalie finished. "Let me guess; you want to know if I think you and Alice having sex is a good idea and whether or not it would end badly for her. To the first question, yes and no. I think the experience would be different since she's still human, but at the same time, it would benefit both of you in ways I can't even begin to describe.

"As for the second question, again, there's a chance it might. You have to take into consideration the fact that you're physically stronge enough to crush her head like a squishy ball. If you can keep your strength in check and not lose control, you'll be fine, I think. You simply have to find the right time to do this with Alice. Given what's going on, I'd suggest waiting."

"Well it's not like I planned to do it today," I said.

"You seemed awfully close the other day," Rosalie snickered. "How far did you get?"

"Her bellybutton," I replied. "Which is cute, by the way. I wanted to go further and I think Alice would've let me, but then we stopped, so I'm not wholly sure."

"You'll figure it out," Rosalie said, squeezing my shoulder. "I'm sure of it. Now get down there and go sweep her off her feet before you drive off to have your fun. Esme and Carlisle will take care of the food items, I'll get you a decent wine, and we'll set up that area we mentioned for a nice romantic evening for just the two of you."

"Right," I said. "Thanks, Rose. I appreciate it." I leaned in to kiss her plainly on the lips, which she reciprocated by deepening the kiss. We held it for a minute or so, then pulled away. "I wonder what Alice would think if she saw us kiss like that?"

"She'd probably be turned on," Rosalie replied. "I'm sexy as fuck and you're you, so she'd have an Emmett moment, most likely. She'd have to be straight not to."

I chuckled. "Oh, Rose."

"Where is she, speaking of which?" Rosalie inquired.

"I think Cynthia's tickling her in their room," I said. "It keeps her mind busy so she can't look into the future and see what I have planned for her." I got off my best friend's bed and smiled at her. "Thanks again, Rose."

"You already thanked me," Rosalie said with a warm grin. "Go get your woman already."

I nodded and dashed out of her room to the room Alice and Cynthia were staying in. I knocked first, then slowly opened the door, the sounds of Alice's laughter booming from within making me smile as I fully entered and saw her squirming on their bed as Cynthia tickled her.

"B-B-Bella!" Alice whined. "S-s-save me!"

I casually strolled over and watched on. "Hmm…do I interfere or don't I?"

Alice howled with laughter. "D-damn you! I c-can't t-t-take anymore!"

"Alright, Cynthia, let her go," I said, patting the blonde's back. "You did good. Thanks."

"No sweat," Cynthia replied. "Well, maybe a little, but not from me."

Cynthia released her sister and exited the room as Alice sat up to catch her breath. She glared at me and crossed her arms petulantly, but all it did was make her look even cuter.

"You _stink_," Alice huffed.

"Why I never," I said with mock offense. "That's awful rude to say to your savior."

"Savior?" She scoffed. "Man, I can't wait to be turned so I won't be ticklish anymore…I hate it."

"Aw," I cooed. "You poor thing."

I pulled her into my arms and she relaxed against me, eventually dropping the pout and moving so her arms were around me as well. We kissed for several minutes before I pulled away and Alice got off her bed. She dusted herself off, fixed her hair, then turned to smile at me.

"Shall we get going, then?" she asked.

"Who said we were going anywhere?" I inquired.

She frowned. "Don't give me that. I know you've got something planned. I don't know what, I just know you do. And I promise I won't look into the future to spoil it. Scout's honor."

"Girl scouts have honor?" I asked. "That's news to me."

Alice stuck her tongue out at me. "Shut up!"

"Alright, let's go, then," I said, extending my hand to her.

She gladly laced her fingers around mine and together we made our way downstairs. After saying goodbye to the family, I took Alice outside and got my car from the garage. Once I pulled out and helped her inside, I drove my baby off through the woods into town, the first stop on my list being the movie theater, where we would be seeing a new movie that came out.

"Where are we going?" Alice asked.

"Movies," I replied, figuring I could spoil it just a tiny bit.

Alice squealed excitedly. "Ooh, I love going to the movies! What're we seeing?"

"Be patient," I said. "You'll see."

I'd looked over movie show times the night before while Alice slept and considered several movie choices, but the one that looked the most promising was a movie remake of Snow White, a favorite fairy tale of mine. I wasn't too keen on the actress playing Snow White, but in the end, it didn't matter to me so long as the movie was good.

Once we reached the movie theater, Alice and I got out of my car and headed to the ticket booth, where I ordered the tickets for the movie. Alice, of course, squealed in delight when she found out what we were seeing, as she too loved Snow White.

"Oh my God, I wanted to see this movie the second I saw the trailer," she chirped happily, throwing her arms around me. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"It's no problem, Alice," I chuckled, walking inside with her. "Would you like something to drink or eat while we watch the movie?"

She considered my question and shook her head. "No, I'm good. Too much sugar would be bad for me, I think, especially given how hyper I am at this very moment."

"True," I agreed.

We walked to our designated theater holding hands and sat towards the back. I was surprised at how few people there were in the theater since I'd arrived a minute before the show started—after all, I was a Cullen and we always arrived at just the right time to events. It didn't bother me, though, since the less people there were, the better.

The movie started shortly after, and Alice and I cuddled up as best as we could while we watched it. I did enjoy the movie, but my primary focus throughout it was on Alice. I would occasionally turn to look at her face, noting the way her eyes were glued to the screen and smiling at how into it she was getting. It made me wonder what was going through her mind.

Once it ended, Alice and I headed back to my car, Alice lost in thought for several minutes, not uttering a word until after I'd started my baby back up.

"Who do you see yourself more as?" Alice asked. "Snow White or the huntsman?"

I furrowed my brow and thought about it. "I…don't know."

"You look like Snow White," Alice remarked. "Prettier, though. In fact, I see you as Snow White more than anything. I see myself as wanting to be like the huntsman. In my dreams, anyways, but once I become a vampire, that's going to change."

"You're going to shoot up several inches and grow a beard?" I asked, giggling.

Alice snickered. "No, I'm going to be strong enough to protect you."

I gazed into her eyes for a moment. "Alice, you don't have to worry about—"

"I do, Bella," Alice interjected. "I want to protect you. I want to be the rock you can lean on when you need help and the arms that will hold onto your troubles when they become too much for you to handle alone. I don't want to be the weak little girl who can't defend herself and has to be saved all the time. No, I want to be a fighter and fight with you, not watch from the sidelines."

"Alice…" I reached over to squeeze her shoulder.

She took my hand in hers. "I just wanted to promise you that I'll be everything I can for you, Bella, even now, while I'm still human. I love you and I want to be able to protect you. It's what I've dreamt about for years ever since you saved my life."

"Thank you, Alice," I said. "It means a lot to me to hear that. Don't worry, you'll get your chance soon, I promise. I'll talk with Carlisle and Esme and we'll plan a day to turn you."

"Would you be able to turn me?" Alice asked. "I have nothing against Carlisle and Esme doing it; they're lovely people. But…I was hoping you would be the one to do it, or at least do it alongside them so I had your venom running through my veins."

"I'll…think on it," I murmured. I couldn't make any promises, but I would see if I could make it happen. I would need to train myself first, that much was certain. For now, though, I was going to focus on being with Alice. "Are you mad at me, Alice?"

Alice giggled. "Of course not, Bella. Why would I be mad at you?" I shrugged and decided she was right, then went back to watching the road. "So…where to next?"

"You'll see," I replied, grinning. "I hope you like to swim."

"Swim?" Alice questioned, lifting an eyebrow. "Yeah, I love to swim. The water is hella fun. Wait, are we going to the beach? Gah! Why didn't you tell me, Bella? I would've worn something better than what I am now to swim in! Damn it..."

"We're not going to the beach," I said, smiling at her excitement. "Just be patient."

"I hate being patient," Alice grumbled.

I giggled. "I noticed."

My plan was to take Alice to a remote section of the forest near my house. Rosalie and the others were going to set the area up to make it look nice, allowing Alice and me to have a picnic either before or after we swam in the lake. They'd also bring Alice her swimsuit and a towel for her to dry off with following her dip, since I didn't want her to get too cold.

It didn't take long for me to reach my destination in the forest. Alice, of course, was puzzled as to why we were in the middle of nowhere, but I gave her a smile as I zipped over to her side and opened her door for her, which I'd meant to do at the movie theater.

"Our next place is somewhere in the woods?" Alice asked. "The dark, creepy woods where we're by ourselves with a good chance of someone or something attacking us?"

I rolled my eyes. "As if I would do that to us, Alice. My siblings are patrolling this area and will continue to do so until we're finished. We'll be alone, but we're technically not 'alone' in the sense that we're vulnerable. Now come here so I can carry you."

"Yes, ma'am," Alice replied with a smirk.

I scooped her into my arms with ease and, after briefly kissing her on the lips, dashed further into the woods to the lake area, knowing my family members would've worked their magic on it by now to make it look presentable for when we arrived. And it did; the area was clean, there was a large blanket set up with a box of clothes and a picnic basket…it looked nice.

"Your family did this?" Alice asked after I set her down.

"Yup," I replied, noting a small bed sitting under a tree with several blankets and pillows on top.

"Jeez," Alice said. She crouched down and found a wine bottle inside the basket. "Wine? They do realize I'm technically not old enough to drink, right?"

I rolled my eyes. "One, they don't care if you drink. And two, who says we're going to drink it the conventional way, hmm?" I arched an eyebrow and smirked when Alice gave me a puzzled look. "I remember a certain someone suggesting body shots not too long ago, yes?"

Alice's eyes widened and her cheeks took on a pinkish tone. "Oh. Uh…yeah."

"What's wrong?" I asked. "Did you not want to do it? I don't mind either way, but…"

"N-no!" Alice said. "I'm fine with it."

I grinned. "Alright then. Your swimsuit should be there in that box with the clothes in it. I wore mine, so I don't have to worry about." Without another word, I stripped out of my clothes into the blue bikini I'd been wearing beneath them, just like I'd said. "I'll be in the water, Ali."

"Okay," she replied as she began looking through the clothes to find her swimsuit.

I stepped into the lake—which my siblings had graciously "cleaned"—with one foot to see how it felt against my skin, then entered fully until all but my head was submerged. Being in the lake felt strange, just like it did the last time I was inside it, but it didn't bother me. I waited for Alice to change before watching her slowly dip a toe into the water.

"Whoa," Alice said, stepping back.

"Too cold?" I asked.

She shook her head. "No, actually. It feels…just right."

"That's great," I replied. "The last thing I'd want is for you to be in icy cold water."

Alice shrugged and walked in, swaying her hips side to side as she swam towards me. I opened my arms for her and we melted against each other's bodies soon enough, each of us hugging the other tightly and tenderly, though I made certain not to hold her too tight.

"This is nice," Alice said, nuzzling into my neck, which I mimicked.

"It is," I agreed.

Alice brushed her lips against mine several times in a row, then kissed me in full. I pulled her closer to my body and deepened the kiss, moving one hand up to touch her cheek while the other remained around her back. Alice's hands moved to my hair as our pacing sped up and our mouths began dancing with one another in rhythmic motions.

The desire to taste more than her lips formed in my mind as this continued, so after a while, I pulled away—giving Alice a chance to catch her breath—then traced my tongue on her bottom lip, silently asking for permission inside. Alice granted it without hesitating and soon my tongue was slipping into her mouth, reveling in the flavor that was pure Alice.

My tongue slowly explored the inside of Alice's mouth as both of us moaned in unison, swirling around as it played with Alice's tongue. Our tongues briefly battled it out for control over her mouth, but in the end, Alice gave in and allowed me to continue until I retracted my tongue and pulled away from her mouth, grinning.

"That was awesome," Alice breathed.

"It was," I agreed.

Alice and I proceeded to swim around in the lake, keeping close to the lake shore for safety reasons. We played various games while swimming, such as Alice seeing how long she could hold her breath under water, having a mini-splash war, and a test to see if I could locate Alice underwater without opening my eyes, which I succeeded at.

"You cheated!" Alice huffed after I'd scooped her into my arms and carried her out of the water.

"Did not," I giggled, setting her down on the blanket.

Alice grabbed her towel and wrapped it around her as we snuggled on the blanket and gazed into each other's eyes. Regardless of how sexy her entire body was, my favorite body part on Alice would always be her crystal blue eyes. I loved how they sparkled beautifully with her emotions and how easily I could get lost in them. They felt like home.

Alice scooted closer to me and reached over to touch my cheek. "You're so beautiful, Bella."

"Thank you," I replied. "You're even more beautiful, Alice." Alice opened her mouth to respond when her stomach suddenly growled, causing her cheeks to turn pink while I burst into laughter. "I think that's a sign you're hungry, Ali. You should probably eat."

"How embarrassing," Alice mumbled, sitting upright. I giggled and remained lying down as she opened the picnic basket and pulled out what looked like a full course meal made by Esme and Carlisle. "Damn. This is enough for three people! Your parents outdid themselves!"

"That'd be Esme's doing," I snickered. "She likes cooking for you and your sister quite a bit."

"Her cooking is delicious," Alice said. "I'll have to thank her and Carlisle when we get back." Alice lay back on me as she ate while I ran my fingers through her hair. I continued to play with her hair until she finished her meal, at which point she lay down next to me. "That was delicious. I can't believe I ate all of that, too!"

"You were hungry," I said. "There's nothing wrong with that."

"What next?" she asked.

"We lie here while your stomach rests," I replied. "And then…" I licked my lips and let that answer her question, Alice shuddering with anticipation. "So tell me, Alice, have you seen anything in the future about…well, anything?"

Alice closed her eyes for a moment. "Yes, actually." When her eyes reopened, there was an odd look in them. "I've been seeing a person I've never met before. I think I mentioned it a while back, but I didn't make a big deal about it. I've been seeing her repeatedly lately, though, and it's starting to worry me. I don't know what to make of it."

"What does she look like?" I asked.

"Long black hair, icy eyes…I don't know because every time I see her, the visions are blurry and it's difficult to make most of her out," Alice replied. "There have been other visions, too. They're all blurry and hard to make sense out of. It's starting to scare me. What if I'm losing my touch, Bella? What if my visions are shutting down somehow?"

"That's impossible, Alice," I said, rubbing her cheeks with my thumbs. "You can't 'lose' your gift once it's activated. And it can't get worse, it can only strengthen. If anything, maybe your gift is slowly evolving and what you're seeing is a side effect. I wouldn't stress out about it, Ali, you're too amazing to stress over something so small. Trust me."

"I trust you with my life," Alice replied. "It's my stinking visions I'm struggling with."

I kissed her forehead. "It'll be okay, I'm sure."

"I hope so," Alice mumbled. "Oh, I looked into the future to check on what my parents and James have been up to. Your friend Jenks did exactly what you told him to; he slapped a restraining order on all of them and it completely fucked their lives up. James is in prison and my dear parents are dealing with financial problems and the law due to them 'abusing' us."

She smiled darkly. "It's great to watch them get what they deserve; I only wish we'd done more to fuck with them. I hope more crap happens to them because it's the most fun I've had watching my visions play out in years. Regardless, they won't bother Cynthia or me again. In fact, I'm pretty sure they're going to end up in jail soon themselves."

"That's good to hear," I replied. "By the way, you have quite the twisted side to you, don't you?"

She shrugged. "I've always had a…darker side to my thoughts. It's been with me since I was thrown into the mental institution all those years ago, and it never went away."

"You don't have to worry about it anymore," I said. "It's never going to be a problem again."

"I know," she replied, smiling. "Thanks."

"So…" I sat upright with her still lying against me. "Care to have some more fun?" I reached over and pulled out the wine bottle Rosalie had picked out for us, smiling at her choice. "Tell me, Alice, have you ever tasted wine before?"

"Yes, actually," Alice replied. "My sister and I used to sneak drinks whenever our parents weren't around, partly to be rebellious and partly because it tasted good. We never got flat out drunk, though I did come close one night when I got a little too into it. I ended up waking up with a hangover the following morning, but it was so worth it."

"Will you ever cease to surprise me?" I asked, appraising her with wonderment.

"Doubt it," Alice said with a wink. "But, uh…" She glanced at the wine bottle. "Are we taking shots off each other?"

"If that's what you want," I replied. "Then that's what we'll do."

Alice licked her lips. "I'd like that very much."

I smirked. "Cool. Unfortunately, Rosalie didn't pack any shot glasses."

"Um…" Alice's cheeks reddened. "We could use our bellybuttons…"

"Works for me," I replied. "Do you want to go first or should I?"

"May I?" Alice asked shyly.

"Sure," I said. "Do you want me to show you how to do it?"

"I've done them with Cynthia before," Alice admitted. "We were curious, bored, and…yeah."

"You're blushing an awful lot for a cocky seer," I remarked, amused. "I like that."

Alice merely bit her lip and rubbed the back of her neck as I opened the wine bottle and lay back, wordlessly giving Alice the go-ahead. I could hear her heart pounding in her chest, but pushed the thought out of my mind, unwilling to dwell on something that didn't matter. After a minute of silence, I saw Alice move closer to me and place her hand on my stomach.

"Your stomach is sexy," Alice murmured. "And really, really soft."

"Thank you," I replied with a smile, closing my eyes.

I felt the wine being poured into my navel moments later, the warm liquid feeling odd against my skin, much like the lake water had. Alice's tongue then dipped into my abdominal divot, causing me to gasp when a brief spark of electricity shot through my body. Her warm tongue felt incredibly good, better than I'd ever imagined possible.

Alice's lips sucked out the wine while her tongue fluttered inside my navel for a good minute, a moan escaping my lips before she pulled away. I reopened my eyes and sat up, noting the look of glee on Alice's face as she licked her lips once again.

"You taste fucking awesome," Alice breathed. "The wine wasn't bad either."

"That felt pretty good," I commented.

"I'm glad," Alice said, pulling the towel away from her body. "Your turn." She lay back and handed me the wine bottle, which I took from her as I scooted closer, admiring her flat middle all the while until she was situated. "If I squirm around, I apologize. I'm kind of sensitive in my stomach area. Which…you kind of know, I guess."

"That's not the only sensitive area on you," I pointed out, earning a blush in response.

I opened the wine bottle and poured it into her cute navel, Alice squeaking when the cool liquid hit her skin. Once the wine started overflowing, I stopped and moved down to suck part of the delicious wine out of the makeshift goblet it was resting in. I then dipped my tongue into Alice's navel, swirling it around to lap up the wine as Alice's stomach quivered.

Even after I'd sucked up all the wine, I continued swirling my tongue around the orifice, reveling in the flavor of her skin as Alice moaned cutely until I pulled away, though not before kissing her middle. When I sat up, I saw Alice's eyes were glazed over and thought she was having a vision, but without a word she shot up and pounced on me, pinning me to the blanket.

"I'm horny," Alice whispered before slamming her mouth against mine.

Her mouth assaulted mine as my brain took a moment to absorb what was going on, but even when it did, I didn't bother to stop it. I wrapped my arms around Alice and closed my eyes as her tongue delved inside my mouth, swirling around as both of us moaned. My hands gently gripped at her silky locks as she sped her pacing up until we were at the same level of passion as earlier.

"I want you," Alice breathed against my lips. "So bad, Bella."

"I want you too," I replied, slipping my hands under her top to cup her breasts. "We have to take it slow, though, Ali, I don't want to—"

"You won't," Alice interjected, gazing back at me with fiery eyes. "I trust you, Bella."

"Alice…" I whispered, uncertain regardless of what my heart and brain wanted.

"Please, Bella," Alice said. "We both want this. We _need_ this. I just…" She froze before she could finish her sentence and her eyes glazed over in a different way, the way I knew to be a symbol that she was having a vision, which didn't bode well. "Damn it."

"What is it?" I asked, tensing. "Edward? The Thornes? The wolves?"

"No," she replied. "It's…something different."

_Great_, I growled in my head. "Just what we need, another enemy to deal with."

"I don't know if it's an enemy," Alice said. "I couldn't tell, honestly."

"We should get going," I replied, digging into the box of clothes to give Alice something to change into. I briskly handed her the clothes and she stripped out of her bikini right in front of me, giving me a chance to ogle at her naked form for a moment. Once she was fully clothed, I simply put on what I'd worn and sighed. "At least our moment wasn't ruined this time."

"No, it wasn't," Alice agreed. "Well, our opportunity was, but…"

"I'm sorry," I said.

She smiled warmly at me. "It's fine, Bella. Don't sweat it. We should get going, though." Her smile dropped suddenly and she turned to scowl dead in front of us. "Never mind. It's too late."

I grimaced and stepped in front of Alice instinctively as a stray gust of wind blew overhead. Dead silence fell over the area as Alice and I stared forward, waiting for whomever—or whatever—to appear from the expanse of forest stretching out before us. Knowing my family was out there was a good thing, as they would likely catch wind of the scent soon, but still.

Seconds passed and soon a single figure appeared wearing a hooded jacket, the hood covering up the face. The figure was a little taller than I was, but I couldn't tell from the body whether the person was male or female. Their scent wasn't helping, either; it was difficult to discern what race the person was, another fact that bothered me.

The person stopped several feet away from us. "Are you Isabella Cullen?"

I frowned. "Yes. Who are you? What do you want?"

"Funny you should ask." The hood was pulled up to reveal that the person was a female with long black hair, pale skin, and piercing emerald colored eyes that practically impaled my very being as a twisted smile formed on the young girl's lips. "I'm here to visit you and see why you abandoned me all those years ago, Mother."

Alice gasped behind me. "Mother? Then…"

Every inch of my body froze solid as I stared back at the haunting eyes of the girl standing before me, an image appearing in my mind of the night I'd been turned all those years ago. I recalled giving birth and seeing the same emerald eyes staring back at me, then watching Edward took her and disappearing into the night. This was my daughter.

"Ebony," I whispered, clenching my jaw.

"Hello, Mom," Ebony replied. "Long time no see."

**A/N: So first we got Rose feeling guilty for her outburst (which was meant more so for comedy and teasing you more than anything), then we go to some hotness and then OH CRAP IT'S BELLA'S DAUGHTER.**

**Yeah. At long last, the daughter has made her debut. Her name is Ebony, and she's not a happy camper. :D**

**Side stuff: one, I'm going to be doing a blog system where I talk about stuff and my first blog will be about why canon Bella Swan is a terrible character and a poor excuse for a role model. Two, if any of you agree with this sentiment, I invite you to share with me your thoughts: why does canon Bella suck in your opinion? Thank you!**

**Also, hurray for Blood Solstice making 3000 reviews. Even though some aren't positive, most are. Thank you to all of you who read it and supported it even though my writing wasn't all that great back then. **


	45. Daughter

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any Twilight characters, I own only my characters and my own ideas.**

**Note: This chapter is un-beta'd.**

**Daughter**

Ebony's emerald-colored eyes bored into my very being, but I couldn't decide what emotion I felt more from it: fear, concern or disdain. Her eyes were full of intensity as she slowly made her way towards Alice and I, never pulling her gaze away from mine.

"What do you want, Ebony?" I asked quietly, uncertain of what to do or say.

"I already told you," she replied in a low voice. "I want to know why you abandoned me?"

I frowned, confused. "Abandoned you? When did I abandon you?"

She hissed at me as her eyes darkened, but they didn't turn pitch black. "Are you truly that foolish that you don't know? Or was Father right that you don't care about me and that the instant you gave birth to me, you thought I was a horrible monster and never wanted to see me again? Which is it, Mother? Tell me, damn you!"

I winced at the anger behind her words, then realized that my prior belief that Edward had manipulated her into turning against me was right. I could only imagine the types of things he'd put into her mind to make her think I never wanted her. But how would I explain that to her?

"Ebony…" I paused and made sure to word it the right way. "That's not true. For one thing, I never abandoned you. When you were born, I was still a human and your Father…he was likely planning to kill me. Two other vampires showed up and he got scared, so he took you with him and that was the last I ever saw of you. I tried looking, though, after I was turned."

"Please," Ebony scoffed.

"It's the truth," I assured her. "I really did try to find you, but I had no idea where you were. I didn't know where to look in the world; if I had, I would've gone to you and taken you away from your bastard Father to a better place to live and done the best that I could to raise you. I couldn't, however. I didn't know where you were, Ebony."

Ebony snarled at me. "Liar! Don't you fucking lie to me like that! I know the truth, Mother, I know all about your true feelings about me! Father told me! And don't you dare threaten him, he's been more of a parent to me than you have since I was born. He raised me, taught me how to hunt, fight and kill…what have you done? Nothing!"

The venom in her words felt like a burning dagger digging into my heart. I'd never imagined the day would come when I would be standing face to face with my daughter even though I knew for years it was inevitable. I didn't know what to do. What could I do? Edward had warped Ebony against me and I wasn't sure there was any way for me to fix that.

"Ebony…" I struggled to think up what words to use.

"Don't," Ebony growled. "I don't want to hear lies, I want the truth."

"I told you the truth," I replied. "Why would I lie to you, Ebony? I have no reason to."

"Then answer me this," Ebony replied. "Why do you want to kill Father?"

I grimaced. _Why did she have to ask that? _"It's difficult to explain, Ebony," I said. "Your father's done a lot of terrible things to me. For one thing, he forced me into making love to him, to the point where it was rape because he threatened to hurt me if I refused. So I did what he asked and ended up being impregnated with you."

"He turned into a bastard after that and manipulated me into doing what he wanted. And when I finally gave birth to you, the first thing he does is have you kill someone and try to kill me almost immediately afterwards. Then he took you from me and for the years after, he's tormented me ever since. He's killed people I meet, attacked me, threatened my family…"

I clenched my hands into fists. "He even threatened to kill _you_, Ebony. He's done nothing but try to ruin my life and he won't stop, either. You may not believe me, but I know what's true and I can say for a fact that your Father is a heartless monster. He doesn't love you. He doesn't care about you. You're just a toy for him to play with until he grows bored of you."

Ebony narrowed her eyes and the emerald color disappeared entirely. Her eyes were now blood red, the same as Edward's, as she suddenly appeared in front of me, growling. My body tensed and Alice shifted behind me; Ebony attacking me would be terrible. There was no way I could fight my own daughter, especially with Alice's life on the line.

"I can't believe you," Ebony seethed. "All these years and all you care about is killing Father, which you won't do because I won't let you! But you don't give a shit about me at all, do you? My life doesn't really matter, does it? No, you don't. He was right; you're a selfish bitch and you'll never care about me. I don't even know why I bothered coming here!"

Her words irked me and I grimaced. _How could she say those things to me without knowing what I've gone through? She's going off of what Edward said only?_

Before I could form a response, Alice moved past me and slapped Ebony clean across the face. My jaw fell open and Ebony looked utterly taken aback, but Alice wasn't finished; she slapped Ebony with her opposite hand with just as much force, causing Ebony to take several steps back, touching both cheeks with shock in her eyes, which returned to being normal.

"How dare you?" Alice snapped, jabbing a finger at her as she glared my daughter down. "This is your mother you're speaking to! Do you honestly think the woman who gave birth to you would ever do anything to hurt you? How fucking stupid are you?"

Ebony's mouth opened, but no words formed at first. "What…who the hell are you?"

"I'm Bella's mate," Alice replied. "My name is Alice Brandon and I won't stand for you badmouthing her like that without knowing what you're talking about. How can you really think that about her if you haven't seen her for years? Honestly!" She placed her hands on her hips and scowled. "Open your eyes to the truth. Your mother would never do those things to you."

Ebony narrowed her eyes. "Who do you think you are talking to me like that, you—" Her words died away after a moment. "Wait. You…you said you were her _mate_?"

"Yes," Alice replied, smiling proudly.

Ebony seemed surprised as she tried to absorb what she was hearing. "That's…not possible. My father is her mate, he said so himself. She can't have…" Conflict filled her eyes as she looked around uncertainly. "You…you're cheating on him! With a girl! That's disgusting!"

_Of course Edward would have forced his morals onto her,_ I thought. "Ebony, I'm not cheating on him with Alice. Mates can't cheat on each other; you should know that because I know your _father_ would have told you these things. You can't stand there and accuse me of something you know isn't physically possible, Ebony."

Ebony grimaced, my words clearly ringing true. "No," she said, shaking her head. "I won't believe you. I can't. He said you would try to lie to me, to trick me into thinking he was wrong and that you were right. I won't fall for that trick, not in a thousand years."

"Someday I hope you will, Ebony," I said.

"You're a fool," Ebony growled. "You stand there acting like you know me, as if you can understand me and what I've been through just because I'm your child. I've got news for you, mother; you don't know me. You weren't there for me when I needed you most in my life. You don't know what it's like to feel the pain I felt…"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"What do I mean?" She scoffed and pulled her shirt off, revealing multiple scars littering her body that made the burning dagger in my chest sink further in as my jaw hit the ground in sheer horror. Even Alice gasped. "Where were you when I got these, mother dearest? I screamed for you, cried for you, but you never came to me. No, father did. _He_ saved me."

"How…how did this happen?" I asked, unable to take my eyes off the scars.

Ebony sneered. "Yeah, _now_ you care about me since you see these and think you can squeeze in some sympathy to make me think you truly give a damn. I'm not that stupid. But, since you want to know and you should know, I'll tell you what happened. You see, mother, without you around, father had to take care of me by himself, which wasn't easy.

"It happened a long time ago, a few years after you gave birth to me. At that time, I didn't realize how heartless you were despite what father told me. I believed there was some chance you would come back and join us, making us a complete, perfect family. Had you been there, there would've been a chance that we might not have been surrounded by rogue vampires.

"They captured us and took us to some unknown location. I don't know what they did to father, but they threw me into a cell, where they had numerous human slaves running about. Then the leader of the vampires appeared and told me that I would be a guest of theirs for a while. At the time, I was still young. I didn't know much about fighting, but I was prepared if I had to.

"Unfortunately, I wasn't prepared for what they did to me next. One of them, a woman that I knew to be the mate of the coven leader, knocked my unconscious the day after we were captured. When I awakened, I was chained to a table, unable to move. I remember trying to break free, but for some reason, I couldn't. That's when she appeared alongside her mate."

"What did they do to you?" I asked. "Where the hell was Edward at?"

Ebony hissed. "Don't blame him for this! He was captured too!"

_Yeah, but there's no way that smug bastard wouldn't get away_, I growled in my head. _He knows how to manipulate people and he can read their damned minds. Something stinks about this._

"Don't interrupt me," Ebony said. "Like I was going to say, when I woke up, they were there with me and I was half naked. They told me that they were intrigued by me because I wasn't human, but I wasn't a full vampire, either. The woman suggested they see how much of a vampire I truly was, ignoring me when I tried to reason with them.

"I tried to threaten them, telling them that my father would save me. They laughed! They said he wasn't going to be able to do anything to help me, but I refused to believe them. Then…they started to torture me. The woman went first: she bit me, clawed at me and beat me down until I was covered in blood and sobbing…you have no idea how much pain I was in…"

I cringed at the mental imagery and the dagger was being thrust deeper in. Ebony's voice cracked and her eyes became full of pain as she balled her hands into fists.

"I don't know how long it went on for. I fainted after screaming for several hours and when I woke up, my body was sore and covered in bruises. I was hungry, too, for blood and food, and I was all alone. I cried like I'd never cried before, begging for you to come and rescue me even though I had no idea where you were, mother. You never did, though. You didn't care."

Tears were starting to trickle down her cheeks. "They reappeared soon after I woke up and the male took his turn. He had a gift…I don't know what it was, but it took away my sight and my other senses. I tried to scream out of fear, but I couldn't even talk! Then my senses suddenly came back and my body was searing in pain. They'd…broken my bones…"

Every word she spoke sent a wave of pain shooting through me that increased each second and soon I was on my knees, clutching my chest as the thought of my daughter being tortured formed in the back of my mind. It was the most painful sensation I'd felt in my body in years, even more painful than not feeding for days on end. I knew if they could, my eyes would be watering.

"Bella," Alice murmured, wrapping her arms around me.

Ebony sneered at. "Hurts, doesn't it, mother?"

"Shut up!" Alice snapped. "Stop tormenting her like this! She didn't know! If she had, she would've gone to save you in a heartbeat!"

"I doubt that," Ebony growled, shaking her head. "It doesn't matter, either way. She never came. My father did, though; he saved me from them before they could continue their torture. He came in and broke the chains when no one was around, lifted me into his arms and carried me away, reassuring me that I would be safe. We left their lair burning to the ground."

I stared at the ground, not wanting to meet my daughter's cold, accusatory eyes as my head cleared and I tried to think of what to say to her. In reality, as much as I hated admitting it, Ebony was right about me: I hadn't been there for her when she needed me. And given Edward's nature, how could I even begin to explain to her that she had always been on my mind?

I felt like isolating myself from the world and breaking down. All the shame and self-anger I felt towards myself for never trying harder to find Ebony, all the times I never thought about her…she had every right to hate me the way she did. There were no excuses, no words to describe my failings as a mother. It broke me inside.

Slowly I stood upright and looked up into my daughter's eyes. The amount of rage pulsing in them would be enough to shatter me into pieces if looks could kill, but I swallowed down the feeling and my growing unease as I took a step towards her.

"What are you doing?" Ebony demanded, flinching back.

I didn't say anything and continued until I was standing in front of her, face to face. I studied her for a moment, taking in the sight of the young woman she had grown into since I last saw her years ago when she was just an infant. It amazed me how she'd grown, but what surprised me the most was that her body had stopped aging after a certain point.

Standing before me, Ebony looked like an eighteen year old girl. Her hair was long and messy, taking on qualities of my hair and her bastard father's. However, her face was like mine; it was heart-shaped, smooth and youthful with a round nose, thin eyebrows and full eyes. Her eyes, though, were just like her father's before he became a vampire.

All in all, she was beautiful, almost as beautiful as Alice. And even if she despised every fiber of my being, I couldn't help marveling at her with some form of pride.

"You're so beautiful," I whispered. "You're…so much more than I would have ever believed possible for a girl to be born from me. I wish…I wish I had been there some way for me to find you, Ebony, to know what was going on with you. If I had, there's no way I would have sat idly by without trying to be in your life, no matter how much I hate your father."

My right hand extended and I started to slowly reach towards her to brush her cheek. "I'm not worthy to call myself your mother. And I know how angry and betrayed you must feel. I wish I could say something to make it up to you, something you could believe, but I know you wouldn't because of everything you've been raised to believe. I can accept that.

"I want you to know, Ebony, that no matter what Edward has told you…I do love you. I've always loved you, even if I was never sure if I would ever see you again. In truth, I struggled with the idea that I even had a daughter to begin with. I tried telling myself you didn't exist, that you weren't mine…but every time, I felt guilty and knew deep down you were real.

"I'm sorry, Ebony. From the bottom of my heart and every ounce of my twisted soul, I truly am sorry for not being there for you. I wish I could have been. I would have done whatever I could to find you and show you that I loved you. But even though I failed in that…I want you to know that I'm honest-to-God happy that I brought you into this world. And I love you, Ebony."

My hand inched closer to her as Ebony's eyes widened. She soaked my words in and, for the briefest moment, her eyes flashed with inner struggle as my hand finally brushed against her cheek. She winced, closed her eyes and seemed to consider accepting my words. Her face softened and she leaned into my touch, but it didn't last long.

"No!" Ebony hissed, swatting my hand away. "You're doing exactly what he said you would try to do! You're trying to manipulate me into taking your side! I won't! I…I'm not going to listen to your lies." She shook her head as though she were trying to convince herself of what she was saying rather than telling me how she felt. "Father raised me better than that."

"Do you really feel that way about me, Ebony?" I asked.

Ebony grimaced. "I…it doesn't matter what I feel! I know what's true and what's not true, mother, and everything you say isn't the truth!"

"What would it take for me to prove you wrong?" I inquired.

"What?" Ebony asked, blinking rapidly. "I…what do you…?"

Her sentences were growing more jumbled and it was clear to me that my earlier statement caught her off guard. Not only that, but my sincerity may have managed to cracked the massive barrier Edward likely created within her mind as he raised her. Even though the chances were highly unlikely, it gave me a shred of hope.

"How can I prove to you that I'm not lying?" I repeated, stepping forward. "Please, Ebony. Tell me and I'll do whatever I can. I'm telling you the truth. I have no reason to lie to you; you're my daughter for God's sake. Just…give me a chance. That's all I ask for…"

"Y-you want to prove it to me?" Ebony seemed completely confused and ran a hand through her hair, just like I did whenever I was nervous. Were I to guess, Ebony had likely come here with the belief that I would act a certain way and say certain things, yet my responses were throwing her off because she probably didn't expect me to show her true sincerity.

"Only if you'll let me," I replied.

Ebony ground her teeth together and roared. "NO!"

Suddenly, a massive shockwave emanated from her body and both Alice and I were sent flying backwards, though I was able to recover quickly and catch Alice before she was hurt. I stared at my daughter in shock at what she'd done as she glared at me, the ground around her full of cracks from what had just happened.

"What the hell?" Alice asked, clutching to me. "What just happened?"

Ebony breathed raggedly as she grabbed her top and slipped it on. "That was a brief look at my gift," she informed us. "I can make shockwaves with my mind. Don't piss me off, though, or you'll get much worse than that!"

Her threat was sincere, but hollow. I could tell by looking at her eyes. "Ebony, I—"

"Save it!" Ebony snapped. "I don't want to hear anymore out of you!"

Alice's body tensed up as she pulled away from me. "You little brat, I ought to—" I gently stopped her by placing a hand on her shoulder and shaking my head. "But Bella…"

"It's okay, Alice," I said, unable to hide my underlying sorrow. I turned back to Ebony, who was fighting with herself over what to do next. "I take it you're going to leave, Ebony?"

Ebony narrowed her eyes. "Seeing as how being here with you is a total waste of time, you're damn right I'm going to leave. Why? Are you going to try to stop me? To tell me that my father is wrong and that all these years, you've been watching out for me?"

"No, Ebony," I said. "I'm not going to stop you, nor will I say that I've been watching out for you, because I haven't. It's the truth and it hurts me to admit it. But I won't tell you to stay, mostly since I know you won't. More than that, though; it'd be wrong of me. I won't try and persuade you to do something you don't want to. That's not who I am.

"Whether or not you believe me, I do love you. And if you can ever find it in your heart to give me that chance, I would be eternally grateful. I know for a fact that when you meet your father again, he'll read your mind and tell you otherwise. I'll accept that now since it's inevitable. Before you go, however, there's one thing I'd like to ask you."

Ebony hesitated. "What is it?"

"This coven of vampires that captured you, what did they wear?" I asked. "Were they decked out in black cloaks with strange v-shaped necklaces around their throats? Did they walk and talk in a very peculiar manner and use Italian words ever so often despite not being Italian?"

Ebony's eyes widened. "How did you know?"

Something inside me snapped. "I'd tell you, but you wouldn't believe me."

"Try me," Ebony sneered.

"That coven is known as the Volturi," I replied. "They're the largest, most powerful coven in the world and they lurk in Italy, away from the humans, yet still amidst them. If it truly was the Volturi that captured you, I sincerely doubt your father would have killed them and fled with you in tote. You wouldn't be alive if that were the case, or at least, you wouldn't be here."

Ebony furrowed her brow. "What are you talking about? Of course he killed them, he said he did and I saw their fortress burn to the ground!"

"No, Ebony," I said. "If that were true, you would be dead. Edward would dead. The Volturi don't fuck around; if someone kills a guard, the leaders will become infuriated and see it as a sign of rebellion, which they won't tolerate. They'll send a mass of troops after said vampire or vampires and murder them brutally. Trust me, I've seen it.

"Therefore, I sincerely doubt Edward killed them, which means one of two things. Either your father knowingly allowed for the two of you to be captured and bargained his way out of there at a convenient time…or he planned the whole thing on purpose and waited for them to finish experimenting with you to take you away. Knowing that bastard, the latter is what happened."

Ebony scoffed. "Please! Why would he do that to me?"

"I don't know, why don't you ask him?" I inquired. "Do you remember anything else about what occurred when this happened? Do you remember your father's words to you? Did he talk to these vampires? Did he give them peculiar looks? Didn't something feel messed up in your mind?"

Something flashed in Ebony's eyes as I hammered her with questions: recognition. It dawned on her that she did notice something was off when she was "captured", but I wondered if she would willingly consider the fact that her father wasn't the loving man he claimed to be. In fact, I knew exactly what went down and it caused the pain and guilt inside of me to turn into rage.

Edward knew what he was doing. He'd likely been contacted by the Volturi, who aren't fools when it comes to something as out-of-this-world as a half human, half vampire child. They'd likely cornered him somewhere when Ebony wasn't around and forced him to reveal the information. Given how Edward was, he would have done so willingly, though.

He would have told them about me and done so with a twisted smirk on his face, reading their minds the whole time and answering their questions just right. And then, the Volturi guards would have reported back to the Kings and Queens, who would be intrigued by the halfling and want to know more, which is likely where a deal would be made.

The deal was a cruel one that Ebony would never know about: Edward would allow the Volturi guards to experiment on her—meaning torture—to see how her body reacted and whether or not such a creature would be useful to them. In return, Edward would be free to do whatever he pleased in his relentless obsession with me and, to an extent, my new family.

I knew how the Kings and Queens would vote towards it, too. Marcus and Didyme would vote against it due to their friendship with Carlisle and Esme and their genuine morals. Caius and Athenodora would vote for it since both got off on torture and they enjoyed going against my family in some way. They didn't care if it was a child, either.

Lastly, gracious and just Aro and Sulpicia would pretend to think about it, but their vote would be the same regardless: they would vote for it. Her being a child wouldn't matter and her connection to my family would be considered obsolete. No, they would want results because if it meant a way for them to grow more powerful, they'd take it in an instant.

Thus, Edward would allow himself to be "captured" alongside Ebony, but in reality, he would likely go off to do his own thing while his daughter was tortured. He wouldn't care. She was nothing more than a weapon for him to use against me. That was all.

By the time the scenario had finished playing across my mind, I was trembling out of sheer fury and hatred for the bastard, wishing he was here in front of me so I could rip him into pieces. I ground my teeth together and I swore if I could, I would obliterate the forest just to take out my anger, even though it wouldn't be enough.

"Bella?" Alice's whisper was quiet and distant to me, but it was loud enough to draw me out of my rage-induced haze for a brief moment. Her eyes flashed with worry and I felt bad that she had to see me like this, but I didn't dare speak to her, fearing I would snap.

Ebony, on the other hand, was sweating nervously as she struggled over what to believe. I could see her resolve cracking like an eggshell and it was clear that the ego her father had helped create around her was dropping down to earth. She couldn't comprehend the idea of Edward betraying her, yet my words shook her up to the point where she was questioning everything.

"No, no, no, no," she muttered under her breath, stamping her foot down. She tried to throw a glare at me, but it was half-hearted and, upon seeing the anguish I knew was written all over my face, her attempt died away instantly. "I…I'm leaving. I'm going back to father! He'll set this whole thing straight and I'll be proven right in the end, just you wait!"

"If you tell him, he'll deny everything," I said through gritted teeth. "He'll sugarcoat his words with emotionless niceties and turn everything around so it goes against me. He'll make me look like a villain and repeatedly tell you that he saved you in some way, Ebony. And if you think to yourself about what's going through your head now, he'll deny those thoughts too."

"You can't read my mind," Ebony said with a non-existent threat.

"I can read your eyes," I replied. "They tell me everything I need to know. But it won't matter how much I say, you have to see it for yourself. Go, Ebony. Go to your father. Tell him what I told you and watch him react the way I said he would. While you're at it, I challenge you to do something: keep your thoughts on something else entirely the whole time."

Ebony scowled. "Why?"

"Do it," I said. "Don't let him hear what you think. You'll see."

Unable to fathom my words—or perhaps, unwilling to accept them—Ebony turned away from me and stared off into the direction of the forest staring back at her. I swallowed some of rage inside of me down, just enough to force out my earlier emotions.

"Goodbye, Ebony," I said softly. "I love you, my daughter."

Ebony's body shuddered and I swore I heard her whimper. "Bye."

Then she darted off into the forest, leaving Alice and I by ourselves. Unable to hold in the emotions inside of me any longer, I collapsed to my knees and screamed with every fiber of my being behind it and pounding my fists into the ground, anger, pain, guilt, sorrow, hatred…everything I felt pulsing through me as I began to sob genuine tears.

Alice came to kneel next to me, wrapping her arms around me without a word. For once, I willingly melted into her body as she pulled me close and began combing her fingers through my hair, wishing she was a vampire so her grip would be stronger. But I made do and hugged her back as I continued to sob into her shoulder.

Somewhere in the distance, carried on a light gust of wind, I heard someone else crying, too.

**A/N: Emotional chapter, methinks. That's what I aimed for, anyways. Regardless, Bella's daughter has been introduced and...well, she's a bit of a wreck for obvious reasons given Edward's lack of care for her, and yet, he's manipulated her against her mother. Will she show up again in the future? You bet, she's going to become very important to the plot later on.**

**Just so everyone is aware, we're nearing the "hiatus" mark that I've mentioned on several occasions. I won't abandon the story (I promise), but I won't be updating as frequently. I apologize for the lateness of this chapter, but my poor beta is unable to edit currently, but it's not her fault. Either way, I'll try to get the next chapter up sooner, so you all know.**

**Not many of you may have noticed, but I put up a question for the last chapter about what your opinion on canon Bella is (not quite that wording, but that was the gist of it xD). Any other takers? I'm interested in hearing everyone's opinion on the subject. :)**

**Oh, one more thing: Ebony does have more to her gift then what you've seen. She can make super shockwaves with just her mind, but as her mother has a ****gift as well, expect there to be something else tucked away that she may or may not know about yet...**

**Till next time.**


	46. Misery

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, I own only my characters and ideas, simple as that.**

**Misery**

Pain surged throughout my body as I continued to dry sob into Alice's body, Alice holding me as tightly as she could against herself the whole time. Eventually, I felt the familiar embrace of Rosalie as my sister appeared and pulled into her arms, her strong grip helping to further relax me, though I made certain Alice stayed close by.

Neither said anything, even after I'd cried every tear out and simply took to sniffling into the crook of my sister's neck. She laid gentle kisses on the top of my head the way Esme did whenever I was like this and, combined with Alice holding me from behind and my breathing in both their rich scents, my body eventually relaxed.

It did little to ease what I was feeling, though. My heart felt like it'd been crushed into tiny pieces that remained lodged inside my chest, sending pulse waves of searing agony through me with every passing second. I didn't know what to do, but right now, I didn't care, either.

"Bella," Rosalie's voice, soft and gentle, broke me from my thought process. "Sweetheart, I know you're hurting right now, but we should get back to the house."

"I…" I couldn't form a sentence, and while part of me hated being depressed, there was no way around it given what had just transpired. "Okay."

"I'll carry you," Rosalie said, kissing my cheek.

She lifted me with ease with just her left arm, the right scooping Alice up along with me. Alice's crystal eyes gazed sorrowfully into mine as she reached out to me, taking my hands in hers. I felt her squeeze them and found the strength to squeeze them back, but I couldn't do much else.

"I'm so sorry," Alice whispered. "Bella, I—"

"Not now, Alice," Rosalie hushed calmly.

I felt the pain in her voice, but didn't dare look into her eyes as she carried us back towards the house. It didn't take her long to reach it, the door opening for her, likely Emmett or Jasper, yet Rosalie didn't speak or stop until she was upstairs in front of my bedroom door. She finally set Alice and me down, my gaze remaining on Alice the entire time.

"Alice, if I may…I wish to speak with Bella alone," Rosalie said.

"Sure," Alice replied, her eyes never leaving mine. "May I come in after?"

I nodded silently before Rosalie led me into my room, gently closing the door after her while I flopped down on my bed, a sinking feeling gripping at my entire body. Rosalie was soon lying on my bed, pulling me into her arms, which I melted into. My sister wasn't going to let me do it without looking at her, however, and I knew she wanted to talk with me.

"Bella," she said, cupping my cheeks. I looked into her eyes, finding comfort for what I was going through, but also determination. "I heard everything. I was close by with Riley and Victoria, but I prevented them from intervening. I eventually sent them back home while I watched the whole thing to ensure nothing happened.

"I…I'm sorry, Bella. I wish there was more I could offer you than my sympathy and my love, but I will say that no matter what, I'll be here for you, as your sister, best friend, and above all else, your protector. And that means I'm not going to let you stew in your misery, not the way I did when I first turned. Do you remember that, Bella? I know you do."

"Rose…" I tried to turn away, but she wouldn't let me.

"No," Rosalie said. "Don't. I know it hurts, Belly. I do. Please, just try to think back, okay? I want you to remember how I was, because then you'll see what I don't want happening to you."

Sighing, I thought back to when Rosalie had first become a vampire years ago, long before anyone else had joined the family aside from Esme, Carlisle, and myself. The memory of how I came to meet Rosalie in the first place stuck out as being the most vivid to me, since it was the first time I'd ever been able to rein in my inner animal from killing someone.

_It was a Thursday night in the year 1933 in the month of July. Six months had passed since I was turned into a vampire by Carlisle and Esme, and while my control wasn't anywhere near what it later became, it wasn't flat out horrible. I still struggled, however, so I was forced to remain indoors most of the time until night, my best chance of being out and about. _

_Carlisle, Esme, and I were living in Rochester, New York, since we'd been forced to leave Arizona four months after my transformation because I'd accidentally slipped up and killed a person in town. We were lucky to have escaped without notice, and while I felt extremely guilty for what I'd done, neither of my parents blamed me for what happened. _

"_Dear, it isn't your fault," Esme told me repeatedly. "I've had my fair shares of accidents."_

_I was outside then, looming in the shadows, exploring the town on my own despite Carlisle and Esme cautioning me not to. I didn't know why, but that particular night, I wanted to be outside by myself. Perhaps it was fate pulling me along, perhaps it was my own curiosity. Either way, I was wandering mindlessly when I heard the sound of a scream penetrate the quiet of the night._

_My initial reaction was to ignore it, since hearing a scream and investigating likely wouldn't end well for me. However, when I heard the scream again and the sounds of men shouting, my body seemingly moved on its own to follow the noise until I came to the scene of several men surrounding a downed woman lying in the middle of the street._

_When I realized what they were doing, I was filled with murderous rage because it made me think back to Edward. Even with the scent of fresh blood in the air keeping me back, I let out a loud, guttural roar that boomed throughout the area and caused the men to stop what they were doing instantly. After a moment and another roar, they dashed off in fear, leaving __the girl lying motionless, still bleeding._

_My throat began to burn and I couldn't stop my body from moving towards her. I stopped when I was hovering over her body, my eyes scanning her naked form with astonishment at how beautiful she was. And yet, despite that, it wasn't enough to keep my throat from burning and the desire to drink her intoxicating blood to form into my mind._

_I stopped myself, though, when I looked into her violet eyes, which were full of pain, anger, and sorrow as tears flooded down her cheeks. Staring into her eyes, I saw myself when I was on the verge of death after giving birth to Ebony, my daughter. It was enough to drive away my desire to kill her, even though the intense burning remained._

"_Hold on," I whispered, not daring to touch her._

_Instantly, I turned around and dashed the way I came to grab Carlisle and Esme. I burst into our home and found them sitting together in the family room reading, but when they saw the frantic look in my eyes, they stood in unison._

"_What is it, dear?" Carlisle asked._

"_Come quickly!" I replied, pointing to the door._

_They followed me without question outside to where the girl was, moaning quietly from the pain she was in by the time we arrived. Esme gasped upon seeing her and they gently brushed past me to go and check on her, which only took about a minute._

"_What happened?" Carlisle asked._

"_I don't know," I replied. "I saw her surrounded by men who were beating her up and…forcing themselves on her. I think they might have…" I couldn't finish the sentence, too horrified at the thought, but the dark look in Esme's eyes confirmed my suspicions. "Esme, did they?"_

"_Yes," Esme replied. "This girl was raped and beaten. She's very near death."_

"_Can we do anything?" I asked, taking a few steps back when the scent of her blood hit my nose again and my mouth began to water. I balled my hands into fists and forced my hunger back with every fiber of my being; I __**couldn't**__ kill this girl._

"_Her injuries are too severe," Carlisle said. "I don't think she'll make it."_

_Esme looked at me and saw the look in my eyes. "Honey, perhaps we could…turn her?"_

_Carlisle glanced at her and they held each other's gaze for a moment. "Is that what you wish?"_

"_It might be the only way to save her," Esme replied. "We should see if she can speak back, however, as I wish to ask her if that's what she wants." She turned to me. "Isabella?"_

"_I think you should," I agreed. "It would be nice to…have a sister."_

_Carlisle nodded in agreement. "Alright, then that's what we'll do."_

"_I'll carry her," Esme replied. "Isabella, sweetheart, perhaps you should go hunt?"_

"_No," I said, shaking my head. "Not yet."_

_Esme scooped the blonde girl into her arms carefully while Carlisle came to stand near me, placing a hand on my shoulder to help keep me calm. Within minutes, we were back in our house, Esme setting the girl down on the vacant kitchen table. The girl moaned again and stirred, her eyes fluttering open, full of the pain she was in._

"_Can you hear me, dear?" Esme asked softly. The girl could barely get out a response, but she nodded weakly. "My name is Esme Cullen. This is my husband Carlisle, and our daughter Bella is standing to the side. Can you tell me your name, sweetheart?"_

_Carlisle found something to soothe her pain and injected it into her. She whimpered and cringed simultaneously, but in a number of minutes, her speeding heartbeat slowed and her body visibly relaxed as she let out a long, tense sigh._

"_R-Rosalie Hale," the girl replied at last. I recognized the name; the nearby bank was run by a man whose last name was Hale._

"_Rosalie," Carlisle said. "You've been wounded and I'm afraid there isn't much we can do for the injuries aside from easing the pain. We can, however, offer you an alternative, but this would change your life forever. You see, Rosalie, we aren't humans. We're vampires. Immortals. And, if you wish, we can turn you so you'll be immortal too. Would you like that?"_

"_The choice is yours," Esme added. "We won't force you."_

_Her answer was an obvious one, as she was turned shortly after and awakened as a vampire three and a half days later. Rosalie awakened with a guttural roar and, before any of us could do anything, she launched herself out of our house. I followed after her—being the fastest, which made me the least likely to be caught, though it was thankfully night time._

_One by one, Rosalie slaughtered the nine men who raped and beat her the night she was turned, ripping into their flesh and draining every ounce of their blood. I didn't bother stopping her, either, because the men deserved what they got. I even helped by killing a man who was attempting to call the police, but the rest were all her._

_In the end, Rosalie killed twelve men that day and was covered in their blood by the time she'd finished, the effects of drinking too much blood—which we called "blood drunk"—which caused her to act inebriated and stagger about as I struggled to get her back home without trying to attack her for the blood covering her body._

_About a month later, we left Rochester due to Rosalie's actions and settled in Missouri for a while, Rosalie embittered about everything that had happened to her. I remembered it perfectly because of the look in her eyes; she looked…empty. It was almost like she was in some kind of invisible hole that she couldn't get out of—she just kept falling deeper and deeper into it._

"_I don't want to talk," Rosalie growled the first time I asked how she was. "Leave me alone."_

"_I only wish to help," I told her, trying to ignore the harshness in her voice._

_She glared at me. "I said no. Begone."_

_Her iciness towards me only increased as time went on. She wanted nothing to do with Carlisle or Esme's affection and sealed herself away in her room, only opening the door to accept packets of blood that they stole for her because she refused to leave._

_Eventually, I grew tired of her attitude and kicked her door in when I'd had enough. She was sitting on her bed when I waltzed in, only to shoot up and glare at me._

"_I said I don't to be disturbed," she growled. "What part of that don't you understand?"_

"_I don't care," I replied, scowling at her. "Acting like this isn't going to do you any good. Do you really want to be miserable for the rest of your eternal life, Rosalie?"_

"_What's it matter?" she snapped. "What is there for me now? I have nothing! Leave me alone already, or else. I want nothing to do with you or your 'parents.'"_

_That angered me. "Listen, you, my parents sacrificed a lot to save your miserable life! We could have been seen by humans when we carried you away, and let's not forget you murdering a dozen men in a single night! Do you have any idea what that could do to us if we had been discovered? Or are you really that selfish and cruel that you don't care about anyone but yourself?"_

_Rosalie's eyes turned black and she had me by the throat in an instant. "Silence," she snarled, glaring me down fiercely. "You don't know me, girl. You have no right to talk to me that way."_

_I growled back at her. "Yes I do. I'm the one who found you lying in a pool of your own blood, the person that saved you from being beat to death by the men that raped you! I went and got Carlisle and Esme and convinced them to turn you!"_

_Rosalie's grip tightened around me and, if possible, her eyes grew even darker. "Don't," she seethed through her teeth. "Don't you __**ever**__ talk about that again!"_

"_You know I'm right!" I snarled."If not for us, you would be dead and the monsters that raped you wouldn't have shed a single tear for you!"_

_She slammed against the ground and roared. "__**I'll kill you**__!"_

_We fought each other for a solid hour, biting, scratching, punching, and kicking one another like wild animals, destroying a good portion of Rosalie's room in the process. Had Carlisle and Esme been home, they would have intervened to stop us, but then, because they didn't, it gave way to the conversation that managed to snap Rosalie out of her bitter state._

_Rosalie was both taller and stronger than I was, her newborn strength only increasing that strength to a monstrous degree. She pummeled me viciously once she got me on the ground and for a moment, I truly believed I would die today from the girl I wanted to save._

_Eventually she stopped, but it was clear she intended to go through with her earlier threat. I closed my eyes and waited for her to rip my head off. It never came. I opened my eyes and looked up to see her staring down at me, seething with fury, yet struggling over the idea of killing me._

"_Why?" she forced out after a minute. "Why did you save me?"_

_I looked into her turmoil-filled eyes and thought about it. Why had I opted to save her instead of simply letting her die? Was it because of my deep-seated yearning for a sister to be my friend and protect me? Was it an act of unexplainable kindness?_

_Maybe it was both of those things, but the true reason was obvious. "Something similar happened to me earlier this year," I admitted quietly, looking away from her. "I…I used to live an ordinary life. I had a future husband. His name was…Edward. Then he disappeared for two years. When he came back, he was a different man. Red eyes, cold skin, a twisted smile…_

"_He forced me to make love to him. He said if I didn't, he'd kill me. I was so scared, I had to do what he said. He…did it multiple times, even when it hurt. Then I became pregnant. I had a daughter…or something else…earlier this year, in January. He took her and left me for dead, but Carlisle and Esme…they saved me. They gave me a second chance._

"_When I saw you lying there, dying slowly, no one else around, I saw myself. I saw him when I watched those men and it…angered me. I couldn't sit by and do nothing. That's why I acted, first by scaring them away, then by bringing my parents to you. That's why I saved you. I couldn't stand see someone go through something worse than I did and not live."_

_Then I looked back at Rosalie and saw the emotions swirling in her eyes. Without a word, she stood up and released me. She said nothing and simply walked out of her room, leaving me to wonder if I'd ever see her again. She disappeared for a solid month before returning to us, and I knew when I saw her again that something had changed in her._

"So…" Rosalie's voice broke me from my thoughts and I looked into her light gold eyes. "I take it you were able to remember how much of a fucking douche I was, yes?"

"Yeah," I mumbled. "That was different, though."

"The pain you felt and the pain I felt were from different things, yes," Rosalie said. "But they're just as powerful and emotionally destructive, Bella. I know how you feel right now, too. You feel empty inside, like you're falling into an endless void with no way of escaping. Someone's punched a hole through your chest that won't heal. Trust me; I was there all those years ago."

"You were able to do something about it," I said. "You killed Royce and his friends. You got your revenge. Edward is still out there, evading me every time I try. Ebony has been manipulated against me and even though I may have been able to reach out to her, she'll take her father's side because he has her under his control. What can I do, Rose?"

She grabbed my shoulders. "You can fight what you're feeling and use it to move forward."

_Move forward?_ I questioned. I thought about what I was feeling right now, how depressed I was, and wondered how I could make myself move forward. I knew I couldn't brood forever, because then I'd be no better than Edward, but what could I do?

Rosalie kissed me on the mouth in a sisterly way. "Bella, I love you, you know that. That's why I'm telling you for your own good that being miserable won't help you. I understand that you're depressed and I'm not telling you to feel differently. I'm telling you not to let it control you and bring you down the way my bitterness brought me down.

"Think about Alice, Bella. She loves you so much and she would do anything for you, especially knowing how you feel right now. She'll be just as pained as you are, though. And if she's feeling down, her sister will feel the same and then the entire fucking family will be broody and none of us wants that. You're strong, Bella. You always have been since you're the centerpiece."

"But Rose—" She stopped me with a finger to my lips.

"Listen to me," Rosalie said. "Your daughter hasn't fully turned against you, Bella. You saw yourself what your words did to her. Whatever the fuckwad did, it wasn't enough to truly change the fact that you're her mother. You broke whatever confidence she had against you, which means you have a fighting chance to reclaim her from him."

_She's right,_ I thought. _There is a chance. A small one, but it's big enough for me to try. So why I am sitting here moping about it? Why am I so upset? Because of what she said to me, the words that I know aren't even hers to begin with? No…I know why I'm upset; I'm hurting because my daughter was hurt and I wasn't there for her. I didn't protect her._

"I can see the gears in your mind turning," Rosalie said. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm hurt because I couldn't keep my daughter safe," I replied. "Those scars…I know Edward was behind them in some way, she just doesn't know. And I'm sure there are more stories she didn't tell me of things that happened to her that her precious 'father' wasn't around to protect her from. That's why I'm so depressed, Rose. I failed her as a mother."

"You can't beat yourself up for that," Rosalie stated. "You would have gone to her if you could have, but you had no way of knowing, Bella. Stop it."

I sighed. "Rose, you're either the best support system or the worst. I haven't decided yet."

"I'm the best and you know it," she replied with a scoff before becoming serious. "Look, I'm not trying to detract from the severity of the situation. I just don't want you to get lost in being depressed over something you shouldn't blame yourself for. Edward is the one to blame, not you, okay? He's the rat bastard behind this whole thing."

I growled when I thought about Edward. "You're right. He is."

She smirked. "I'm always right, Bella. At any rate, Wednesday night is close. Tomorrow Riley and Jasper want to formulate a plan on how to take the fucker down, something I'm guessing you won't fully care about since you just want to get your hands on him. Don't worry; in the end, he's all yours to fight against, I promise."

"What about Jane?" I asked, suddenly remembering that her brother was involved.

"She hasn't said much about it," Rosalie replied. "I'm assuming she'll break away to go after her brother if he tries to bolt. Riley will be with her to help in case she needs it."

I nodded and sat up. "I need to talk with Alice and Cynthia about what to do with them. I guess that can wait a while, though. Alice is probably waiting by my door to come inside."

Rosalie got up and opened my door, Alice toppling inside and landing on the floor the second she did. Rosalie burst into laughter while I smiled, Alice getting to her feet and dusting herself off dramatically with an adorable pout on her face.

"Graceful," I said as Alice flung herself into my arms to kiss me.

"Fuck you," she grunted. "I didn't see Rosalie opening the door until after the fact."

Rosalie shrugged. "Not my fault." She walked over to us and kissed my forehead. "I hope you feel better, Belly-Button. I'll leave you two alone since you need to spend time together. Besides, the others will want to know if you're okay. Later, sis."

She disappeared from my room after that and I frowned. "What's wrong?" Alice asked.

"Is it bad that I'm starting to _like _my nickname?" I asked.

Alice giggled. "I think Belly-Button is a sweet nickname. Plus, you've got a cute bellybutton, so it's not like the nickname is misleading, right?" I rolled my eyes and lay back with Alice snuggling into my arms. I felt her brush her lips against my ear. "Are you okay?"

"No," I murmured. "I don't know what I am."

Rosalie's "pep-talk" had helped me feel a bit better, but the guilt I felt inside hadn't gone away yet and I knew it wouldn't for at least a few days. I wasn't the kind of person to simply get over something quickly; no, it took me time, especially something as important to me as Ebony.

"You can talk with me, you know," Alice said. "I'll listen."

I turned my gaze to her eyes and saw them smolder. "I know, Ali. Thank you."

"No problem," she replied, giving me a small smile.

We held each other and remained on top of my bed for a while, neither of us speaking, but that wasn't necessary. Just being able to hold Alice was enough for me for the moment, though her scent helped soothe me even more so. I thought back to the forest when I'd wished she could be a vampire and silently kicked myself for thinking something that stupid.

"What's wrong?" Alice asked. "You're frowning."

I bit my lip. "Uh…it's nothing, Alice. I swear."

Alice poked me. "You're lying, Bella. C'mon, talk to me. Please?"

"Alright," I said. "I…had a stupid thought while we were in the forest and I was berating myself for it, that's all. See? No big deal."

"What thought was it?" she pressed.

I pursed my lips. There was no sense in lying to her. "I wished…you were a vampire. I wanted you to be one so you could hold me tight, the way Rosalie did. B-but that doesn't mean—"

She interrupted me with a kiss. "I understand, Bella. I truly do. We all want someone to pull us close and make us feel good at one time or another. You know what? In that moment, I wished I was a vampire too. I saw how you relaxed into Rosalie. It made me a little jealous because I wanted _my_ strong arms to be the ones you relaxed into. Not your stinking sister…"

I glanced at her and saw a light blush on her cheeks, then replayed what she'd just said to me. "Wait, you were jealous?" I asked, noting the petulant huff she gave me in response. "Alice, you don't have to be jealous. I mean, it's not like Rose will ever take your place as my mate."

"I know that," Alice said. "I just…I want to be what she is for you, Bells."

I pulled her closer and we kissed again. "I love you, Alice. More than the world."

"I love you too," Alice replied. "And I'll never stop loving you."

A thought occurred to me as we gazed into each other's eyes. "You slapped my daughter."

Alice blinked, bit her lip, then giggled. "Well, she deserved it. She was being stupid."

"You realize, had this been in a different circumstance, I'd kick your ass, right?" I asked.

"Yeah, right," Alice snorted. "You're whipped, babe. You'd never kick my ass."

I narrowed my eyes. "I'm whipped, am I? Hmm…that's news to me, since I'm the one who holds the power in this relationship. Tell me, Alice, what would you do I forbade you from touching me for a week? How would you react to that?"

Alice's eyes bulged in terror. "No! P-please, don't!"

I smirked and tapped her nose. "What would you do about it, my love?"

"I…I would…uh…" Alice blinked rapidly and scowled. "You bitch."

"Who's the whipped one, again?" I asked, my smirk growing.

"Oh yeah?" Alice taunted. "What if I said you couldn't touch _me_ for a week?"

"You wouldn't last that long," I replied. "You love being touched by me, Ali. You love snuggling with me, kissing me, and being tickled by me. Therefore, trying to reverse my little threat won't do you any good. You'd rather die than go a week without me touching you, plain and simple. Sorry, my love, but that's just how it is."

Alice opened her mouth to respond, but couldn't come up with anything and crossed her arms. "I hate you," Alice grumbled, turning away from me as I giggled and kissed her cheek. Her eyes flickered to mine shortly after and she smiled. "I'm glad you're feeling okay, Bella. I don't want to see you sad and hurting, so I'll do whatever to make you smile, even if it's at my expense."

I nuzzled into her neck. "You won't have to worry, Ali. I'll be back to my old self soon enough."

"You'd better be," Alice warned. "Or else."

"Or else what?" I inquired, speedily moving so I was on top of her. "What're you going to do about, huh? Tough girl?" I shot my hands up her shirt and sneered as they brushed against her armpits, Alice immediately gulping in fear. "Not so high and might now, are you?"

Alice's lips twitched and she stuck her tongue out at me. "Do your worst, I dare you!"

I grinned. "I plan to, you can bet your cute ass on it."

My fingers started rapidly running across her skin, making Alice burst into laughter that echoed throughout my room. The sound of her laughter brought out a genuine smile on my face and I silently thanked her as I tickled my wonderful girlfriend, thankful that she and Rosalie were there for me when I needed it the most.

Tomorrow would be a different story, but for now, I pushed it out of my head.

"Say you're sorry, Ali," I cooed.

"NEVER!" she shouted in between laughter.

**A/N: Just in case anyone asks, the whole rapid mood changing can be attributed to it being part of vampire nature (how they perceive emotions is considerably different than the average human), and I had Rosalie be the way she did because I didn't fail like having an overly depressing chapter following a very emotional chapter, ya know? Maybe Rose was a bit blunt in her approach, but when vampires get depressed...its pretty bad. And since Bella's been that way before (several of 'em have), they try to keep it from happening.**

**To answer a question given to me, Bella knew Ebony's name because Edward mentioned it in the past. I simply forgot to write that indication in. My bad, but when I write, I get lost in the words and I do tend to forget things or repeat myself. Unintentional.**

**The next few chapters will, among other things, feature a blow up in the family, Alec's official debut, Riley's backstory and then a fight between Bella and Edward. No, Ebony doesn't make any appearances, but she will in the future. **

**This story will likely end at (as of now) 84 chapters. Which means I have thirty something left to do once I return from my hiatus (which has technically started already, since I have up to fifty three finished). Fear not, I'll likely set some time aside to do work on some chapters soon. Some big stuff up ahead, including something most of you will be very shocked at (I think). **

**Until next time.**


	47. Tempers

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or its characters, I own only my original ideas and whatnot.**

**Tempers**

It was Tuesday night, one night before the meeting between Edward and Jane's brother Alec of the Volturi in the forest. I kept wondering if Edward would know we knew about it and asked Alice to search for any signs, but she said there were none and that the vision was unchanged, the only difference being her confirmation on the date being tomorrow.

I was sitting in the family room with Alice curled into my arms, the entire house quiet for a change, since most of my siblings were either out hunting or upstairs. Carlisle and Esme were both at work, attending to patients as they always did. Tonight, apparently, they would be working longer shifts, but it didn't bother me, since I knew they'd be safe.

_Edward would be foolish to go after them, _I thought. _They'd rip him into pieces._

"What're you thinking about?" Alice asked, breaking me from my thoughts. She was looking into my eyes with her angelic crystal ones, which smoldered with love and a hint of curiosity.

"Tomorrow night," I admitted. There was no sense in lying to her.

"It's a big night," Alice agreed. "What are you hoping will happen in the end?"

I ran a hand through my hair. "Best case scenario, Edward dies a horribly painful death and we get Jane's brother in some way, shape, or form. At the very least, even if the bastard ends up escaping, I want something as a token, whether it's information or not. I don't care. I won't let Edward keep getting away unscathed like he usually does."

"If you turned Cynthia and me, that wouldn't be a problem," Alice said matter-of-factly.

I sighed. "Ali, we've been over this before."

Alice had become increasingly insistent on being turned into a vampire, especially since everything that happened with Ebony. She wanted to help me kill Edward, not sit on the sidelines and do nothing. While I understood her desires and they meant the world to me, we couldn't risk turning her and Cynthia yet, especially without talking to them about it in full first.

Being a vampire had a lot of risks, some of which they didn't fully understand. Besides, it took at least three days for the transformation to finish, two if it was closer to the hear. But doing so was risky, and when they awakened it'd only put themselves—and the rest of us—in danger. No, it had to be planned out, just as Riley and Jasper wanted tomorrow night planned.

"I'm sorry, Ali," I said softly, stroking her cheek. "I swear we'll have you turned, okay? Just give it a bit of time and I won't prolong it. Right now wouldn't be a good time, though."

"I know," Alice mumbled. "Stinking control issues and all that crap."

"Among other reasons, yes," I said, kissing her. "It'll be done, I promise."

Alice nodded begrudgingly and nuzzled into the crook of my neck. "Why don't Cynthia and I just stay at La Push while you guys do your thing? I think that'd be a much safer alternative, and it would give you the chance to have your entire family out there trying to capture him. It's not like the wolves can't keep us safe, after all."

There was an idea I'd considered, but I didn't know if I liked it or not. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try asking Raina if you can stay there," I said. "We'll have to explain everything to them, though, so they'll be in the loop and more likely to assist us."

"There you go," Alice said. "Problem solved."

"One problem," I replied. "There's still a whole lot more to deal with."

Alice scowled and kissed me. "You're supposed to agree with me, stinker." Her lips were soft and warm against mine, and I cupped her cheeks to return the kiss. Alice moaned against my mouth and buried her fingers into my hair. "I make everything better, you should know this by now, my dear, sweet vampire. Keep that in mind for next time, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am," I replied, smirking against her mouth. "I guess I'll call Raina now, then."

"No," Alice drawled. "Stay here with me! I like cuddling with you..."

"I'll be right back," I chuckled, trying to move over her, but she didn't let me.

Alice pouted cutely and shook her head. "Nuh uh, I won't let you move. You stay here and I'll get the phone for you." She rolled off the couch without giving me a chance to speak and gracefully strode across the room to grab the phone, then came back and resumed her previous position as she gave me the phone. "There."

"Thank you, Alice," I said, kissing her cheek. "It's good to know I didn't have to get up."

Alice snorted and snuggled with me. "Call the wolf already."

I wrapped one arm around her while I used the other to dial the phone number we'd been given—Raina's—in case there was a need to talk. I half expected her not to answer, but to my surprise, she answered after the first ring. Or rather, her brother did.

"_Hello?"_ he asked into the phone.

I frowned. "Is Raina there?"

He snorted loudly. _"No, she's…wait a minute, you're that leech!"_

"Vampire, thank you," I replied. "I'm calling to speak with Raina about making an arrangement tomorrow for my mate and her sister. Since you're either too stupid or too bitter to pass on any messages to her, I'll simply call back. If you decide to crush her phone, which I would advise against, I'll just go there myself to find her. Good day, mutt."

"_Just a fucking minute!"_ he snarled. _"Who do you think you are talking to me like—"_

"_What the fuck are you doing on my phone?!"_ Raina's voice boomed in the background.

"_R-Raina!" _Jacob's anger dissipated for a moment, then he got angry again. _"I was just answering the damn thing since you were off making out with Sam or whatever! Shit. It doesn't matter though; it's just that stupid ass leech calling—"_

"_Give me my damned phone,"_ Raina demanded firmly. Jacob tried to resist and tell her otherwise, but she merely increased her volume. _"Jacob. Phone. NOW." _Jacob must've finally handed it over to her, because I heard a door slam in the background and Raina finally came on after clearing her throat. _"Hello?"_

"Hi, Raina," I replied. "This is Bella Cullen."

"_Hello, Bella,"_ she said. _"I'm sorry about my brother. I leave for one second and he already thinks he's King of La Push. What can I do for you?"_

"Raina, I have a favor to ask," I said. "Tomorrow night…" I sighed. "My mate, Alice, can see the future, Raina, but only when someone makes a decision. And tomorrow night, the bastard I've been hunting for years is going to be making an appearance, and I can't miss that chance to try to kill him. I can't risk Alice and Cynthia's safety, though.

"I was wondering if they can come stay at La Push for the night. I know they'll be safe and sound with you and your wolves, since he'd be stupid to try to mess with you. So would it be possible for them to stay there tomorrow night? I know this is sudden to ask and all, but…there's no one else who can keep them safe, and I trust you the most out of the wolves."

Raina was quiet for a moment, likely soaking my words in. _"She can see the future?"_

"Yes," I replied. "Right now, she can look into it herself and find out whether or not someone has made a decision and how that decision will play out. Sometimes she'll get ones that are important while she's sleeping or awake. I'm told it may grow stronger over time, but…yeah."

"_I see,"_ Raina said. _"That's interesting, to say the least. Anyways, regarding your question, yes, they can stay here tomorrow night while you hunt your enemy. I believe Leah's wanted them to come over, in fact, so it would work out perfectly. They'll be protected, Bella, you have my word on that. No vampires will cross these borders. I won't allow it."_

"Thank you," I said, relieved to know she agreed. "I appreciate it."

"It's no problem," Raina replied. "I know what it's like to want vengeance on someone and hunt them down relentlessly to achieve it. I'm lucky enough to have been able to do it, too, without losing anyone or anything else that matters to me."

Hearing this surprised me. "How…how did you feel?"

"_After I killed him?"_ she asked. _"At first, I felt nothing. There was emptiness left inside of me after he was dead, nothing to really fill that massive hole that had been there before. Gradually, it got better, though. I had Sam, my father, my friends…they helped. Once you get what you wish, you'll see. You have the same kind of support team I had."_

It was strange to be talking to Raina like this, intimate in the discussion, yet she sounded like it wasn't a big deal for her to talk about. I wondered who she was referring to and what he did to get her that angry, but I decided not to press her for details since we weren't exactly friends. It did give me the thought that maybe could be, though.

"Thanks, Raina," I said. "I guess…I'll see you tomorrow when I bring the girls."

"_Alright, then,"_ Raina replied. _"Be well, Bella. I have to deal with my idiot brother."_

She hung up, then I did the same and gently tossed the phone onto the nearby table before wrapping my arm around Alice to join the other. Alice looked at me with those shimmering eyes and I leaned down to brush my lips against hers.

"Looks like you and Cynthia will be staying there, tomorrow," I said. "Is that okay?"

"Yes," she giggled. "I'll miss your arms like crazy, but I'll be fine. I like Leah. She's cocky, sexy, and fun to be around, especially when she stands up to those idiot wolves that hang around and glower at us because we live with you. And I'm sure Cynthia will be fine with it." I saw her lips curl into a wicked grin. "In fact, I _know_ she will."

I gave her a questioning look. "What do you mean by that?"

"Wait and see," she said, tapping my nose. "It's a secret."

I wanted to ask more but decided against it, since it was obvious she wasn't going to spoil whatever "secret" she knew about. It didn't bother me in the end, so I simply kissed her again, and we went back to cuddling on the couch for a while. We stayed that way until Alice's stomach growled and I, since Esme and Carlisle were absent, opted to make her food.

"You're going to cook?" Alice asked when I jumped off the couch.

"Yeah," I replied. "Esme's taught me a little about it. How hard could it be?"

Alice tilted her head to the side and lifted an eyebrow. "Are you sure about this?"

I frowned. "Do you see me blowing something up or burning the house down?"

"No," she replied, an impish smile forming on her lips. "Nothing like that."

"Tell me," I said.

"Nope," she replied, sticking her tongue out at me.

Rather than tickle her—which was always fun—I opted for something different and instead grabbed her by the ankles and yanked her up, then dangled her over the floor. Alice immediately began flailing her arms around as I laughed evilly, reveling in the torture I was putting her through for being a brat.

"Payback!" I guffawed.

"Gah!" Alice hollered. "Put me down, you crazy bitch!"

"Ooh, Alice," I tsk-ed, unable to wipe the grin from my face. "That's mean. You shouldn't talk to your lovely girlfriend that way, she might do something drastic."

I released her with one hand so my left was still holding onto her right ankle while I began to slowly walk into the kitchen, Alice cursing at me all the while. I opened the freezer and pulled out a single ice cube, fondling it between my fingers, noting how strange it felt to hold something that was just as cold as I was.

"Shall I drop this down your panties?" I asked, showing Alice the ice cube.

"N-no!" she shouted.

"Then tell me," I replied, licking my lips. God, I loved doing this to her. It was too much fun!

"All right, all right!" Alice replied. "Bella, the blood is rushing to my head! Let me down, please!"

I crushed the ice cube and swiftly got her standing on her feet, holding her while she regained her balance, and laughing when she shot me a glare. Once she was able to walk again, I released her and gave her the cutest smile I could, ultimately making Alice coo and jump into my arms.

_She's whipped,_ I thought, giggling as I kissed her cheek. "Better, Ali?"

"I hate you," Alice grumbled.

"I know," I replied, nipping at her ear. "You love me, too."

She sighed. "I caught a glimpse of you trying to cook for me and forgetting a few things, so the meal ended up oozing all over the floor and making a big, stinky mess. Rosalie came downstairs and complained about it while you tried to fix it. It was funny, but seeing as how you've gotten vengeance for something that hasn't happened, I'll do my part to help you."

"You would laugh at my expense that way, Alice?" I asked with mock offense. "I'm hurt."

Alice narrowed her eyes. "You're damn lucky I'm the whipped one in this relationship, Bella."

I patted her stomach and turned my attention to the kitchen. "What are you hungry for?"

"What has Esme taught you how to make?" Alice inquired.

"Um…" I wracked my brain for the memories. "Pancakes, waffles, and eggs. I realize it's far past breakfast time, but those are the only things I have any knowledge about, sorry."

Alice licked her lips. "I could definitely go for some pancakes right now, yum. Here, I'll help you so you don't make a mess of things, okay? No laughing or teasing, I promise."

"Sounds fine with me," I replied, opening a window and turning the ceiling fan on.

Alice kept her word as she helped show me how to make pancakes for her, including the right measurements of things, how long to keep it in for, and how to tell when it was done. Although I didn't find them appetizing in the slightest when they were finished—nor the smell, which was why I lingered near the window—Alice loved every bite.

"Delicious," Alice said after she finished, rinsing her plate off in the sink. "Thank you, Bella."

"Um…you're welcome?" I replied. "I didn't really do much, Ali. You did most of the work; I just watched and memorized everything so I could do it myself some time. Honestly, though, I don't see how those little globs of goo can taste good, but if you like them, fine by me."

Alice giggled and came over to hug me. "What would you like to do now?"

"I'm not sure," I said. "Can you see when the meeting's going to be?"

She tilted her head to one side and her eyes glaze over briefly. "Soon," she answered when she came to. "In fact, right about now…" She pointed to the doorway. "Riley will enter, followed by Jane and Emmett." Just as the words left her mouth, all three of my aforementioned siblings walked inside with bright gold eyes. "And then the others will come downstairs…"

Rosalie, Jasper, and Victoria appeared once she finished speaking, and I took a moment to marvel at her ability to see exactly what would happen. And, if Eleazar was right about her gift becoming stronger after she turned, I could only imagine the kinds of things she'd be capable of.

"Ugh, it stinks in here!" Jane huffed.

"Alice's fault," I giggled, poking my girlfriend, who scowled at me. "Oh, by the way, I called Raina at La Push, and we made a plan to bring Alice and Cynthia over there tomorrow; that way they'll be safe, and all of us can be out there trying to hunt Edward." Jane gave me a look. "And Jane's brother, too. What was his name, Janie? Alec?"

"Yes," Jane replied, rolling her eyes. "I'm going after him on my own. I'm his sister and, even if the Volturi have brainwashed him or trained him, I know how to fight too."

"Let's go into the family room," Jasper said. "That way, we can discuss how to play it out."

"Joy," Rosalie groaned. "Another boring plan session with the know-it-all soldiers."

"Hey, now," Riley said, frowning. "We may be ex-soldiers, but neither of us are know-it-alls, Rose. We're simply used to this type of thing. Well, I am, since it was what I used to do when I was still human, no offense to Jasper. Regardless, we know what we're talking about, and if we play our cards right, we might be able to pull this off."

We entered the family room, and everyone sat down except for Riley and Jasper, who were quickly speaking amongst themselves over who would be going first in their explanation of whatever plan they created together. It made sense for them to create a plan together, since each specialized in an area the other was weaker in. In essence, they were the perfect team.

Riley was the strategist; during the times when we had to fight rival covens, his plans always came in handy, especially when we were outnumbered in some way. He knew how to take every little detail and use it to our advantage, even when his plans sounded silly or outright stupid. I learned a long time ago to trust Riley's intuition, as he tended to be right.

Jasper, on the other hand, was a fighter, but he fought intelligently. His experience with a powerful vampire who created an army of newborns—whom Jasper trained and kept in check using his gift—gave him an edge in combat because he was quick to understand how someone fought and could create an easy-to-use way for someone to fight against them.

"Hey, can you two get on with it?" Rosalie asked. "I hate waiting."

"I still don't see why we need a plan," Emmett remarked with a scoff. "It's two dudes, one of whom can read minds and run hella fast, the other, we know nothing about. I don't see how a coven our size can fail in capturing at least one of them, right?"

"That may be the case, Em, but you're forgetting something," Riley stated. "We know Edward is working with the Thorne coven. Therefore, what's to say that one of them might not be around somewhere, and Alice's vision didn't account for it? You have to take into account the fact that Alice is a human, and as such, her gift isn't as strong as it would be were she turned.

"Not only that, but when's the last time you saw a single Volturi guard? The times we've run into them, there's always more than one. They travel in groups of four at the very least, so the absence of more of them concerns me. We can't eliminate this from our line of thought, so there's a good chance there may be more vampires around and we don't know it."

_Leave it to Riley to think of something no one else does_, I thought, sighing. "In that case, we should tread lightly and have more than one plan in place in case something happens and we end up walking into a trap or being surrounded by vampires."

Emmett grumbled. "How smart do you think these guys are? I mean, meeting in the middle of the forest when there's a full moon? Doesn't that seem a little cliché to anyone? I sincerely doubt they're going to set up an elaborate plan like this."

"Edward knows we have Alice," Victoria commented. "He either knows from Bella's daughter or from the Thornes, but he'll know she's likely had a vision of the meeting. Therefore, he'll be expecting us to go after him, which means we do need to be smart about it. It's a shame being intelligent isn't one of your strong suits, huh, Emmett?"

"I can be smart!" Emmett huffed. "No, I _am_ smart!"

"News to me," Jane snorted.

Rosalie patted his shoulder. "There, there, Em, we know you have a brain, you're just not one to use it very often unless it's a completely random occasion."

"All right, jeez," Emmett sighed, crossing his arms. "So, wise asses, what's the big plan?"

"It's nothing overly complicated," Jasper replied. "We're going to do a full sweep of the area in teams, since we don't know what part of the forest the meeting is in yet, unless Alice can give us a specific location or something along those lines." He glanced at Alice. "Is that possible?"

Alice bit her lip. "I'm not sure, I've never tried before. Give me a bit and I'll see if I can draw out the area to give you a better idea of it. I'll give you something, at least."

"Thank you," Riley said. "We appreciate it. Regardless, we'll be splitting into teams of two except for Bella, who will be taking the lead on this one since it's her mission. Jane and I will be targeting Jane's brother Alec; the rest of you will be going after Edward or any allies of his that may appear, since we're fairly certain at least one will.

"Regardless of whether or not they do, we'll each split apart to head in different directions until we find them. If one of us locates Edward or Alec, we'll need a method to communicate to the others that we've found them, so Jasper and I decided that making a thundering noise will work out well, since we're all capable of doing such."

"You can do that?" Alice asked.

"It's quite easy," Jasper replied. "All we need to do is strike our hands together with enough force behind it, and it creates a fairly nice shockwave that sounds like thunder."

"That's pretty nifty," Alice remarked.

"Indeed it is," I agreed. "So, wait, how are we going to split up, exactly?"

"We'll run in different directions to cover more ground," Riley replied. "You'll go straight forward, Rosalie and Victoria will go to the left, Jasper and Emmett to the right, Carlisle and Esme will go diagonally right, and Jane and I diagonally left. There's a lot of forest to cover, after all, hence why splitting up will be helpful."

"I see one fatal flaw in your plan," Rosalie stated. "Bella being by herself."

"I don't like that either," Victoria agreed. "She shouldn't be alone."

I smiled at my sisters' protectiveness of me. "Rose, Tori, I'll be fine."

Rosalie shook her head. "Let me rephrase that; Bella won't be by herself. I refuse to go through with this knowing my baby sister's life will be in jeopardy if she's the one who runs into that son of a bitch, or do I have to remind you of what happened the last time they fought?"

I winced a little at the reminder and Rosalie shot me a sympathetic look. Jasper and Riley's eyes darkened at the memory as well, and I saw anger flash across my other siblings' eyes. It was clear they'd either forgotten about it or they trusted my resolve enough to give me another shot at fighting Edward on my own. Knowing Jasper and Riley, it was definitely the latter.

"We feel that Bella needs to do this alone," Jasper said after a moment of silence, noticing when Alice clung to me and I pulled her to my lap. "We'll need to do a bit of training to ensure she can keep her temper in check, but with the addition of her gift, we felt she would—"

"I don't give a shit if Bella was the calmest person on the fucking planet," Rosalie hissed. "She's not going in there alone and that's final, Jasper. I'll go with her to ensure she stays safe."

Victoria objected to this. "No, Rose. _I'll_ go. I'm the better fighter between us."

"I'm stronger than you," Rosalie stated bluntly. "Therefore, I win."

Victoria jumped to her feet. "What the fuck do you mean 'stronger'? I'm stronger, bitch! I've been alive longer than you have, remember? Therefore, I'm better at fighting than you, which is why I should be the one to go with and protect Bella!"

Rosalie got up as well and they butted heads—literally—while growling at each other. "I don't think you know what real strength is, firecrotch. But just in case, why don't we see who the stronger one is here and now, hmm?" Rosalie pushed Victoria backwards, and I knew the gauntlet had been thrown because Victoria lunged for her seconds later.

Jasper and Emmett jumped in to try and stop their wives from ripping each other apart, but they were quickly thrown aside with ease as the two started wrestling on the floor, growling and hissing like deranged mutant panthers that wanted to rip the other's head off. This was made clear when they started crashing into furniture and destroying parts of the floor and walls.

"Stay here," I whispered to Alice, knowing it was my duty to separate them. Jasper and Emmett were shouting their wives' names, but kept their distance while Riley and Jane were blurring around to try and catch priceless items that fell due to the floor shaking violently from the death brawl my sisters were locked in. I _had_ to stop them.

I jumped off the couch and, with as much strength as I could muster, grabbed my sisters and pulled them away from each other. Unfortunately, Victoria's and Rosalie's physical strength surpassed mine to more degrees than I'd known about, and I was thrown backwards too, though Emmett managed to catch me before I shattered Esme's favorite table.

"Normally I'd be the one cheering this on, but…" Emmett's voice trailed off, and I could hear the worry in it as their fight grew more violent. "We should stop them."

I turned to Jasper. "Can't you…?"

"I'm trying," Jasper replied hurriedly, sending out a massive wave of calm that crashed into the two girls, but did little to stop them. "They're so…strong…."

I bit my lip, knowing there was only one other option left. "Jane."

Jane stopped what she was doing and turned to me, startled. "Really?"

"Just a little," I replied. "Enough to get them to listen to me."

Jane nodded and focused on the pair intensely. Seconds later, Victoria and Rosalie's bodies froze in place, and they growled in disdain at the pain Jane was making them feel. I used that to my advantage and again pulled them apart, but this time, I stood between them with my arms outstretched, knowing they wouldn't attack with me there.

"Rosalie, Victoria, stop!" I shouted. "This isn't helping!"

Slowly, the blood-rage faded from their black eyes as they came back to their senses, especially once Jane released them from her gift and Jasper's calm wave wrapped around them. They got to their feet at the same time, relaxing despite the tension still written all over them. At that moment, I knew I had to solve this problem to prevent them from fighting anymore.

Thankfully, Emmett and Jasper moved in to get firm grips on their wives while I placed a hand on each of their shoulders, giving them a squeeze to give them more incentive to calm down.

"Listen to me, both of you," I said. "I am beyond thankful that you want to protect me, but fighting with each other like this isn't going to help. You love each other, remember? The Victoria and Rosalie I know would never try and kill the other to prove a point as stupid as who the strongest is. You're both equally strong, or did you not just kick your husbands' asses?"

Jasper and Emmett grunted quietly, but made no attempt to stop me. My words seemed to dawn on my sisters, however, as their eyes returned to their natural gold color and the gears in their heads started turning in the right direction again. I could see the guilt reflecting in their eyes at what had happened, which meant they were back to their normal selves again.

"Jazz, Em, let them go," I said. "They won't attack each other again, I'm certain of it." Their husbands reluctantly released them, but Jasper kept the calm wave going just in case.

Rosalie was the first to speak. "I'm sorry," she murmured, rubbing the back of her neck. "I'm sorry for swatting you aside, Bella, and you, Em. And…I'm sorry for fighting with you, Tori." She looked into the redhead's eyes and the two quietly embraced. "I love you, you stubborn jackass, I just…all I could think about was Bella being hurt again…"

"I know," Victoria replied. "Same here. I'm also sorry." She pulled away and they exchanged forehead kisses before turning to look at me. "Bella, we don't want you going alone. It's too dangerous for you, even if you have gotten stronger since your last fight with him."

I smiled warmly at my sisters as they pulled me into their arms for a dual hug. "All right, fine," I sighed, kissing their cheeks. "You dumbasses can come with me. Both of you. Riley, Jazz, you'll have to compensate by splitting Jazz and Em up so one of you can cover their ground. I'd rather have them with me than see them fighting over me."

"Agreed," Riley said. "Emmett can have their area, so Victoria and Rosalie can go with you."

"We would've gone regardless," Rosalie stated, wrapping an arm around Victoria. "We're hardheaded, egotistical bitches. We'll do what we damn well please."

"Hell yeah," Victoria agreed.

Everyone laughed until we realized how much damage the fight had done to the family room, at which point everyone started pitching in to quickly clean it up before Esme and Carlisle came back from their late shift, though Alice kindly informed us they wouldn't be back for another two and a half hours. I wanted to help, but before I could, Riley gently touched my shoulder.

"Might I have a word?" he asked.

"Sure," I replied. "Alice?"

"She can come too," Riley said with a smile.

I laced my fingers around Alice's and we headed outside after Riley, walking until we were a good distance away from the house, far enough to speak without any of the others overhearing, though I wondered what it was Riley wanted. Normally, he would have simply taken us to his and Jane's room to speak. Perhaps there was a different purpose?

"I wanted to discuss the plan Jasper and I came up with to help your temper training," he said.

I scowled. "Must you call it that?"

He chuckled and seated himself on a flat boulder nearby and gestured for us to sit as well. "Sorry, I don't mean it offensively. We do feel it might be helpful for when the time comes tomorrow night, though you'll have to skip school."

"Yeah, that's a big problem," I snickered, sitting on a soft patch of grass, Alice sitting next to me, resting her head on my shoulder. "Why'd you bring me out here, then?"

"To go over it with you," Riley replied. "Would you like to?"

"Sure," I replied. "Why not?"

**A/N: Hello again! A little bit of fun, a bit of plot moving forward and Rosalie and Victoria fighting each other for no reason other then...drama? Entertainment because who wouldn't want to see them fight? Random vampire tension? Probably all the above, I'll let you make your own decisions.**

**I don't have much to say this week, but I do have two (admittedly random, but when aren't they?) questions.**

**Uno, is anyone reading this Celtic Pagan? I'm trying to do research on it for a few characters and having someone to talk with with be much more helpful then me jumping from website to website that may or may not be...reliable. I still plan to do that, but I thought I'd ask.**

**And secondly, the one I doubt will apply to anyone; I'm looking for someone who knows Gaelic. If any of you know it or know someone who does, give me a shout out, please? I am in need of this for my novel as well.**

**Thanks! Until next time.**


	48. Riley

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, blah blah blah, Meyer does, yadda yadda. I own my characters and ideas...we know. **

**Riley**

"Wouldn't it be better to have Jasper here?" I asked, lifting an eyebrow. "I mean, his gift is kind of the best way to keep someone calm if they get upset, right? So why you and not him?"

"We wanted to try something," Riley replied. "And that involves finding a way to keep your anger in check without having to rely on Jasper. I don't mean that offensively, but you do rely on his gift in those types of situations. We've all done it before, but in your case, it's for a much deeper reason. Jasper can't always be there to help you, Bella, when Edward is involved."

I ran a hand through my hair. "I suppose that makes sense. I do rely too much on poor Jasper. He has enough problems of his own to deal with, but…" I thought back to the moments when I'd been on my own with Edward, how angry I'd become and how easily I'd played into his traps. How could I face him without Jasper's gift to calm me? Could I find a way to do so myself?

Alice placed a hand on my shoulder. "I believe in you, Bella."

I looked into her crystal-colored eyes, which emanated with nothing but love. "Thanks," I said, pulling her into my arms and kissing her forehead. "I hope so."

"You can," Riley said. "It'll take some practice, but you can, and everyone here supports you."

"Thanks," I repeated, nodding to my brother. "How exactly is this training going to work?"

"We're going to find what it is about Edward that angers you most, channel that anger, then try to find a suitable method in containing it," Riley replied. He gestured around him. "That's why I brought you outside, where there's much more room for us to go over this. Inside, it would have been cluttered, and of course, the others would get involved."

"I'm still surprised your sisters fought like that," Alice remarked, crossing her arms. "Why would they suddenly lose their temper and start trying to kill each other?"

"Because Bella means a lot to them," Riley answered. "She means a lot to all of us. Edward has...been haunting this family since before I became a part of it, but he hasn't stopped since. I've never met the bastard in my life, but if I did, I would likely do whatever I could to wound him and drag his sorry carcass over for Bella to rip him into pieces.

"Anyways, to give you a more thorough answer, it would be…let's say Cynthia's life could be threatened the way Bella's previously was. You love your sister dearly, I know, and you would do whatever you could to protect her. Well, put the severity of the Edward situation with that and, were you a vampire, you would likely have snapped the same way.

"It's part of our nature, Alice. Vampires form bonds with each other that no ordinary human can begin to comprehend, foremost with their mates and then with their coven mates. Our abstaining from the blood of humans has allowed us to achieve an even more tightly packed bond, which, when influenced by something like this, could lead to an explosion of tempers."

Alice blinked. "Uh…okay. Jeez, I think this is the most I've ever heard you speak, Riley."

Riley chuckled. "Usually, whenever I talk too much, the others tell me to quiet down. I have a bad habit of letting my mouth run more than it should, I guess. I don't intend for it to. It's just how I've been since I was a human. Still, the others know I'm good when it comes to strategizing and using my wits, so I don't mind it much."

"I love it when Emmett has to stop you every five seconds so he can keep up," I chuckled.

"He does it to annoy me," Riley snickered. "I think my intelligence irks him. At any rate, let's get to the training method to see whether or not it works. Are you ready, Bella?"

"You want me to do what, now?" I asked. "Tell you what angers me about Edward?"

"Yes," Riley replied. "What is it about him that makes you so enraged that you want to rip him into tiny shreds, then burn him and stomp on his ashes until there's nothing left?"

"Everything," I replied instantly.

Riley frowned. "Everything?"

I nodded. There wasn't a part of Edward I didn't loathe. His heartless eyes, that irritating crooked smile, his velvety voice that sounded so irresistible to those too stupid to see through his lies and deceit, the way he moved, his arrogance…the list went on endlessly. Edward Masen was a monster—a cold, manipulative monster. There was _nothing_ redeeming about him.

Riley pursed his lips in thought. "I see. I suppose that helps to a degree, then. All right, I suppose the quickest way to begin is for you to pretend that I'm Edward."

"Say what?" I asked, staring at my brother like he was crazy. "Riley, do you really think I could pretend you're Edward? My nice, charming, polite, nerdy brother mated to my favorite she-devil as an actual devil? I hate to say it, but that is the dumbest idea you've ever come up with. Besides, there's no way I would ever want to hurt you. It'd kill me. And so would Jane."

"First, dear sister, Jane would never hurt you," Riley said. "Second, I know you don't want to hurt me, and I realize imagining me as Edward would be difficult. But you have to try. How else can we train you without him actually being here? We can't. That's why we have to do the next best thing. And, as I'm the closest to Edward in some way, I'm the best fit."

"How are you even remotely similar to that son of a bitch?" Alice asked. I noticed she wasn't talking as much as she normally did, but then I figured she was mostly interested in what was going on since it was big deal. "You two are nothing alike, Riley."

Riley smiled. "I appreciate the compliment, Alice. I was merely referring to the fact that, out of everyone in this family, I'm the only one who could…understand how Edward thinks. I can't read minds the way he does, but I do know how to read people, and since I enjoy thinking things out, I've recently been trying to get into Edward's head."

"That's not a place you want to be, Riley," I said. "Ever."

"Quite right," Riley agreed. "Nevertheless, let us try this once. If it doesn't work, I'll do what I can to get away from you long enough to not be ripped apart. We'll figure out something to give you an advantage so even if Edward does get in your head, you can fight him out."

Alice turned and kissed me. "I'll be cheering you on the whole time, Bells."

I smiled at her and allowed her to roll off my lap as Riley and I stood. The thought of me attacking Riley made me grimace; I would never, under any circumstances, want to harm a member of my family, especially Riley, who was the least violent other than Carlisle and Esme, who wouldn't even hurt a fly unless they had to. I didn't like this plan one little bit.

We moved to better positions, then Riley took a few steps back and crouched down. The stance he was crouching in was eerily reminiscent of the one Edward took when we fought. I thought back to the time we fought near the hospital and recalled how he'd moved, swiftly and smoothly, yet with an air of arrogance that only Edward could emanate.

"All right," Riley said, tensing up. "Concentrate and imagine me as Edward, Bella."

I licked my lips nervously and closed my eyes. _This is crazy,_ I thought. _Whoever thought up this idea is a moron. Ugh. How am I supposed to imagine Riley as the person I hate most in the world, by putting Edward's face on top of his? No, that won't work. I don't like this, but…if it's the only thing we have, I guess I don't have a choice. I need to do this one way or another._

Rather than keep complaining to myself, I shut up and did as Riley suggested: I mentally envisioned Edward standing before me, standing in the same position Riley had been in, his thick eyebrows narrowed as his trademark crooked smirk snaked across his lips. His blood-red eyes had a glint in them as he stared me down in wait.

When I reopened my eyes, the scene from my mind became reality. Riley was gone. Alice was gone. There was just me and Edward, who tilted his head to the side in mild amusement. I growled at him; just his very presence angered me. He always looked smug, and it drove me insane because he made me feel inferior. I hated it!

"Poor Bella," Edward mocked, licking his lips. "You're so pitiful. You can't win against me and you know it, yet you still try. It's pointless. I'm better than you in every way. I have been since the day you were turned and that will never change. Give up. I'm going to kill you, your Alice, and your precious family. And you can do _nothing_ to stop me."

Rage swarmed inside me as I let out a snarl. "Shut up, you son of a bitch! I will kill you!"

"Doubtful," Edward scoffed. "You're too weak. Or have you forgotten what happened the last time we fought? Had it not been for your precious sister—"

"_**I said shut the fuck up!"**_ I roared, lunging for his throat.

Edward swiftly sidestepped me and my attempt failed, but I wasn't going to give in. He had to die and nothing would stop me from killing him! I tried again and again, but Edward was too fast. He held his hands out as if he meant to stop me, and I mentally scoffed at the notion. That wouldn't hold me back. I didn't care if he begged for his miserable life. He would die.

"Bella!"

The voice that reached my ears sounded familiar, yet foreign at the same time as my rage continued to grow until my vision was blurred, leaving only Edward, grinning cockily at me, taunting me with his eyes. All I could think about was killing him. Ripping him into pieces. Turning him into ashes. Killing him. Nothing else matters. Kill!

"Bella, please, listen to me!"

Again the voice hit me and it registered as being more familiar. _Alice,_ I thought. _But why…?_

Warm hands touched my cheeks, and my vision became warped as I saw Alice standing in front of me, crystal eyes blazing intensely as they gazed into mine. My rage and hate for Edward seemed to dissipate until it was almost non-existent, as if it had turned into smoke.

"Bella," she breathed. "You have to calm down. That's not Edward, that's Riley."

I blinked despite not having the need to and suddenly Edward was gone. Riley was standing in his place, a bit wary of me as he remained completely still. I mentally smacked myself for not even bothering to try to calm myself, but…it was so difficult. I sighed and pulled Alice into my arms, giving my brother an apologetic look.

"Sorry, Riley," I said.

"It's all right," Riley replied. "I think I figured out the perfect way to calm your anger."

I frowned, then glanced at Alice. "My mate?"

"Precisely," Riley replied. "Think about it, Bella. The moment your mind registered she was near you, you relaxed. Your anger's still there, but it's hidden now by the love and connection you feel to your mate. Tell me, has this ever happened before? Has there even been anyone else who could quell that fury you feel when Edward was involved?"

"Rosalie," I replied without thinking. "And our parents."

Riley nodded. "Good. Then there are four people, aside from Jasper with his gift, that have a way to connect to you. The bond you have with Carlisle and Esme is extremely powerful because you've always seen them as your parents. Rosalie is your sister and best friend, so of course she'll be able to break through to you. And Alice, of course, is your mate."

"So…" I ran a hand through my hair. "You want me to imagine one of them when I'm thinking about Edward, is that it?" Riley nodded and I looked at Alice, who offered me a tiny smile. "I don't know, Riley. Alice, how many times did you shout my name?"

"Eight," she replied sheepishly.

"I only heard it twice," I admitted. "I don't know, Riley. I'm not sure it'll work—"

Alice silenced me with a kiss. "Bella, listen to me." She cupped my cheeks so I was focused on her, staring into those piercing eyes of hers. "Picture me in your head when you get angry. I want you to imagine me, standing there in front of you, smiling, laughing…whatever things you love about me, use those. Imagine me there, with you, curled in your arms, kissing you."

I held her gaze and allowed her words to sink in. "And if that doesn't—"

"It will," Alice said, stroking my cheeks. "Trust me, Bella. It will. You have to go deep down into yourself and have faith in your own abilities. I know you can push that bastard's influence out of your mind. He doesn't own you, Bella. He's not your master. You are a strong woman and you have a family and a girlfriend who will stand by you every step of the way. He doesn't."

Her words rang true to me. "No, he doesn't."

"See?" Alice asked. "That's what you have to think about. You have everything he's never had in his existence, nor will he ever have. Use that as a weapon against him, Bella."

"You're right," I said, pressing my lips to hers. "Thanks, Ali."

She giggled. "My pleasure."

"Shall we give it a try, then?" Riley asked.

"Why don't we take a moment first?" I offered. "I…I'm not sure I want to feel the same rage I just did again, I'm afraid of what it might do. Is that all right, Riley?"

Riley smiled and nodded. "Certainly, Bella. I don't want to push you." I sat on the grass and pulled Alice back to my lap while Riley relaxed and came over to join us, sitting down directly next to me. "You know, you're a pretty vicious fighter, Bella. Combine how you fight with your gift, and you would be a true force to be reckoned with."

I chuckled. "Maybe so, but I doubt I'm anywhere near Jasper's and Victoria's levels. And believe it or not, I'm okay with that. I want to get stronger so I don't always fall for the same tricks all the time, yet to me, power is overrated. Still, I appreciate the compliment."

"It's a good thing we stopped when we did," Alice said, resting her head on my shoulder.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

She smiled. "I had a vision of Jane running out here to stop you, which is why I jumped in front of you to calm you down. Honestly, I don't know what she would have done, but I wasn't about to find out, no offense to her or anything."

"Jane wouldn't have hurt her," Riley said. "She would have jumped in the way, no doubt."

"Then I'd feel twice as bad," I muttered.

Riley rolled his eyes. "Oh, Bella, stop. I told you it's no big deal. Jasper's likely explaining everything to the others as we speak since they no doubt felt a disturbance. At any rate, I think using my earlier suggestion, you'll be able to achieve the calmness you need so you won't lose control over yourself when you face Edward."

_Let's hope so_, I thought, nodding wordlessly to my brother's new strategy.

"Hey, Riley," Alice said. "Why don't you tell me a little about yourself?"

Riley seemed surprised and laughed. "That's quite a random question, Alice. I didn't think I was interesting enough to merit a discussion centered around me. What do you want to know?"

Alice snorted. "You're _very_ interesting, Riley. All of you are. I like hearing about your lives before the Cullens; they're so…fascinating. That's why I've been learning as much as I can in my free time, like when Jane told me how she was turned a few days ago. If you're willing to, please, I'd love to know about how you joined the Cullens."

"I'm touched by your genuine curiosity," Riley replied, rubbing the back of his neck. I snickered when I saw the embarrassment flash across his face; Riley wasn't one to usually talk about himself in the way Alice wanted to hear, he was far too humble for it.

"As you should be," Alice said, grinning smugly. "Besides, I heard you say something about being a soldier, which is totally cool! I mean, a smart guy like you, you had to use that in some way, right? Ooh, please share!"

Alice began bouncing giddily on my lap, the excitement emanating from her entire body as she clapped her hands together. Riley and I laughed at how adorable Alice was acting. I couldn't resist the urge to coo and kiss her cheeks, which she returned, along with one to my lips.

"All right, Alice," Riley said and he looked like he'd be blushing if it were possible. "Your interest humbles me greatly, so I'll gladly tell you how I came to be a Cullen. For starters, I suppose the first thing you should know is that I was born here in Washington, Seattle to be exact, in the April of 1925. I had a small family; it was just my parents and me.

"We lived a fairly average life, the kind you would expect for a middle class family during those years. My father was in the army before me, though; he served for twenty two years before being honorably discharged a few years after I was born. It gave him the chance to live with us and raise me, filling my head with the stories of his past in the army. It inspired me as a boy.

"I was a curious tyke back then, always thinking outside the box, wondering how things worked and asking questions every day of my life. My parents encouraged it, especially when I showed interest in joining the army when I was old enough. I remember playing with plastic soldiers and making up random situations for them to face, then coming up with their plans to help them."

"It's great to see you were such a geek back then too, Riley," I teased, poking my tongue out at him. Riley stuck his tongue out at me, the first immature thing I'd ever seen him do, and I immediately burst into laughter, Alice joining me seconds later.

"Funny," Riley snorted, rolling his eyes. "Tease me all you like, it's the truth. My mother once said that I was a genius when I was little, although I never believed her. Still, I did what I could to increase my knowledge as I aged. And while I did dream about enlisting like my father, I also wanted to go out and experience the world at some point. Things changed, though.

"World War II began when I was fourteen years old. The day it started and I heard about it…I can't recall my exact reaction, but I know I was shocked. My father, bless his heart, tried to return to the army to help fight, but he couldn't. He was sick at the time, so he wasn't able to participate and it hurt him. He wanted to serve his country, yet he was refused.

"I was spurred on by my father's inability to rejoin, among other things, so three years later, I lied about my age in order to join the army without letting my parents know. Then I told them the day before I left for boot camp. My mother was devastated, but my father was all right with it because he told me he'd done the same thing when he was sixteen.

"So I went off to the military and, suffice to say, I found myself in an interesting predicament about four months after I'd joined. You see, while I wasn't the best when it came to physical activities, I excelled in coming up with strategy. My ability to analyze situations, come up with plans, and memorize everything they taught about past tactics impressed my superiors.

"My superior officers apparently felt like they could mold me into a successful military strategist, perhaps the youngest one ever, so they took me aside and began giving me very unique courses rather than what most others went through. I still had to learn the basics and do what any other aspiring soldier had to do, but I was able to…shall we say, bypass certain areas.

"Needless to say, by the following year, I had become someone my superiors felt was destined to do great things. Unfortunately, I never got the chance to do much. You see, one of the things I was allowed to do was spend time with higher ranked soldiers as they taught new recruits or had meetings about what was going on, the kind of thing I wouldn't have been allowed normally."

"Why would that be so bad?" Alice asked.

Riley sighed. "Because one day, I left to have lunch with a few other soldiers and my life changed into what it is now. I'd graduated from boot camp thanks to my intellect, and while many resented me for receiving "special treatment," a handful of soldiers liked me and respected me for what I could do. This particular group…they were my closest friends."

Riley paused for a moment and looked morosely at the ground. "While we were eating, someone ran into the cafeteria shouting, and the next thing I know, I'm staring at a grenade right after it's landed a few inches away from me. I was thrown to the ground before I had the chance to react, and then my vision went black. All I remember is hearing shouting, screaming and pain.

"When I woke up, I was in a hospital covered in bandages and hooked up to all kinds of machines. I had a broken arm, three broken ribs, a broken leg, and I was fairly certain I'd gone deaf in my right ear due to my proximity to the explosion. I knew the moment I awakened that I was on death row. My brain's quick thinking had a tendency to be a curse, you could say."

"Holy crap," Alice breathed. "That stinks!"

Riley chuckled. "Yes, it wasn't pleasant. Luckily for me, the Cullen family centerpiece was there and happened to be an aide at the hospital, believe it or not." His eyes met mine and he smiled at me. "Had it not been for you, I doubt I'd be here right now, truth be told."

I ran a hand through my hair. "Why is it everyone makes it sound like I'm a big hero? I barely did anything for you, Riley. All I did was convince Carlisle and Esme to offer you a chance at immortality because I felt horrible for your suffering. I just…felt that gut connection to you, the same I felt for Jane, Emmett, Rosalie, Victoria, Jasper…everyone, really."

"I've often wondered about that," Riley said. "You claim to have this innate feeling within you about us when we meet, like you know us somehow, a feeling you can't outright explain or understand. I find it interesting since you've experienced it so many times. Then again, I'm glad you did. You gave each of us a second chance that we never thought we would have."

Alice squeezed my shoulder. "You never told me you were a nurse."

I chuckled. "I was an aide, not a nurse, silly. I couldn't have handled being a nurse; the blood would have made me snap. Being an aide wasn't so bad, though. I worked exclusively for Carlisle and Esme, which was the best part, and it was a good learning experience."

"What happened between you two?" Alice asked, gesturing between Riley and me.

"I convinced Esme and Carlisle to be his doctors," I replied. "Well, not really 'convinced,' but you know what I mean. I did it because I remember seeing them bring him in, and at first, I didn't think anything of him. But gradually, I started to feel what I said I felt earlier, and eventually, it led me to finding out more about him."

"She learned I was going to die soon," Riley said. "My injuries were too severe for the doctors to do anything, so she had Carlisle and Esme speak with me one night and give me the offer of immortality. At first, I was baffled by this, but because I saw the sincerity in their eyes, and since I had nothing to lose, I agreed. They faked my 'death' shortly after and the rest is history."

"Did you ever see your parents again?" Alice asked.

Riley shook his head. "No, I didn't. They were told I was dead and I could do little since we couldn't let them know I was alive. I attended the funeral they held for me, however, and I slipped a note into my mother's purse when she wasn't looking. I wrote it after I was turned, but made it sound like it'd been written prior to my 'death.' It was the least I could do."

"I'm so sorry, Riley," Alice said.

"It's all right," he replied. "The past is the past. There's nothing that can be done about what happened, and in a way, I'm glad I took the path I did. It brought me here, after all, and now I have a new family and I've found the love of my life. In the end, it was worth it."

I smiled and kissed his cheek. "I'm glad you came to our hospital when you did, even though you were badly hurt at the time. Without you, our family wouldn't be closer to being complete."

"Indeed," he agreed. "Now then, I think that's enough chatting for the time being. What say we try out my earlier advice? We need to try it several times today at the very least since tomorrow night is when we'll start our hunt for Edward. Are you ready to try it out, Bella?"

"Give me a moment," I said, standing. "I think I should hunt first, just in case."

Alice pouted. "Aw. I can't go with you, can I?"

I kissed her forehead. "Don't worry, Ali. I'll be back real quick, I promise."

"Fine," she huffed. "Riley can entertain me until you return."

"Oh boy," Riley said, rubbing the back of his neck. "What have you gotten me into, Bella?"

I snickered and darted into the forest, a faint burning sensation forming in my throat. I decided to give in to my animal senses as I began breathing in the scents of the forest in search of prey, forgetting Alice, Riley, Edward, and the training, a growl erupting from my throat as my speed increased and I caught wind of a warm, tantalizing scent.

_Blood,_ I thought. _Need blood. Need to feed. Bloodbloodblood!_

Seconds pass. Heartbeat. Foolish creature, eating grass. It sees me. Too late. Pounce, sinking teeth into throat. Blood, warm, rich, not as delicious as it should be, but filling. I drain it, clutching it as it dies. It kicks. It's weak. I'm not. It dies quickly. Burn weakened. Not enough, need more blood. Toss body, sniff air. New scent. Similar creature. Blood!

Pounce. Grab. Side of neck. Blood the same. Tasty. Dissolves burn. Creature dead. Drop. I move away and growl. Punch tree. No reason. Close eyes. Relax. Burn dissipates completely and mind slowly returns to normal. I let out a long sigh and reopen my eyes, staring down at the dead deer lying at my feet. I run a hand through my hair and turn back to where I'd come from.

My thoughts turn to tomorrow night and I think about the hunt for Edward. He'll likely know I'll be after him, but that doesn't matter. I have to find a way to stop him, even if it means going through a training session that might not help me in the end. I don't have a choice. I need to.

"No," I said, clenching my fists. "I will succeed. And I _will_ kill him."

My resolve strengthened, I turned and darted back the way I'd come, sprinting past trees until I entered the area where Alice and Riley were. Jane had joined them, snuggling into Riley's arms as I slowed my pace and came to a stop. Alice flung her arms around me instantly and I hugged her back, glancing at Jane and Riley, who were having a silent moment.

"Had I known your safety would be in jeopardy, I wouldn't have agreed to this stupid training session thing," Jane said suddenly, looking to me. "No offense, Belly-Button."

I snorted. "None taken, Janie. I wasn't trying to hurt your husband, for the record."

"I know," Jane replied. "I want to be present for the rest of it, though. I feel better that way."

"Fine by me," I said. "Riley, I'm ready to try again."

Riley nodded, kissed Jane's forehead, then stood up. We walked away from our girls and stood in battle ready positions, Riley assuming the same Edward-like stance from before. I figured he was doing it to help me mentally turn him into Edward as I had previously. I closed my eyes and prepared myself for what was to come as I began to envision the bastard once again.

"Remember, Bella," Riley said. "Alice."

"I know," I mumbled. Then my vision became hazy and Riley was gone. It was only until Edward formed a few feet away from me, grinning from ear to ear as he beckoned me on with a finger. I grimaced, my anger shooting up, but this time, I fought my animalistic rage by thinking of Alice at the same time, her beautiful eyes, her soft voice, holding her close to me…

Edward's mouth opened, as if he was going to speak, but no words came out. Instead, Edward started to flicker as I focused intently on Alice in my head. His red eyes widened in terror as he struggled feebly to remain there in front of me, and I saw pain flash across his face.

"No!" he shouted. "You cannot fight me, Isabella! I'm better than you in every way!"

"_I'm better than he is,"_ Alice's voice echoed in my head. _"And so are you, Bella."_

Her words rang true and I thought back to what she'd said to me: I was better than him. I had a loving girlfriend and family, two things he lacked. In fact, what did he have? Our daughter, who he'd brainwashed into serving him? The trust of a coven of manipulative fools that would likely turn on him? That was it. He had nothing. In the end, he was alone. I wasn't.

"Damn you, Isabella, look at me!" Edward snapped. "Get angry! Fight me! Give in!"

I clenched my fists and swallowed my rage. "No."

Edward started to shout at me, but as he did, his body started cracking like glass. Everything around him began to crack as well until, at once, he shattered into a thousand tiny shards that dissipated the second they hit the ground. My vision became blurry and I felt strange all of a sudden as I fell to my knees, as if the wind had been knocked out of me.

"Bella?" I looked up into Alice's worried eyes as she knelt by me. "Are you okay?"

I glanced over to Riley and Jane, who were equally worried, when I noticed Riley hadn't moved from where he was standing. Then I realized what I'd just done; I defeated my mental Edward and I didn't have to budge an inch to do it. I was…relieved.

"I think I figured out how to defeat Edward," I breathed, shifting between all three pairs of eyes.

**A/N: Oi, sorry for the long wait. My beta's been busy and so have I. School started. Cue groaning.**

**So aside from school beginning, I've technically already begun my hiatus. Again, sorry for not getting the chapter out sooner. I'll try to be a bit quicker with the next one, but after fifty or fifty one, I'm not going to be updating until my third book is finished with. Sorry, folks.**

**Anyways, this is Riley's back story for those who care. Not much to say here, but I liked it, as much as I can since he isn't really my character.**

**So...random news. No update on the novel yet, but I've gotten in touch with Amazon for when the time arises. I officially hate canon Alice, though that's not really all that important. Uh...I bought the Hunger Games DVD with the Mockingjay pin. Yay. And I plan to take up screenwriting next year as a side hobby. Again, nothing really important. Yeah, I don't have any witty remarks or questions this time around. Hope you liked the chapter.**

**Until next time.**


	49. The Preparation

**Disclaimer: You know it already. I own my ideas and characters only. Not Twilight.**

**This chapter has not been beta-ed. If you catch any mistakes, please inform me.**

**The Preparation**

Edward. Tonight was the night I would finally have my chance to face that bastard and I wasn't going to squander it. I would hunt him down, I would find him and one way or another, I would make sure he knew not to cross me. He would not break me ever again.

I trained with Riley for hours, using my newfound "plan" of imagining Alice whenever I became enraged at the thought of Edward. The first few times worked fairly well, but then Riley began mimicking Edward's voice and taunting me about Ebony, threatening my loved ones and other unsightly things the real Edward would do. Suffice to say, it was hard for me to stay calm.

It was surreal for me to be able to imagine Edward being there in front of me in the first place, so surreal it scared me, yet it helped to a degree. I trained through the night, even after Rosalie came out and took Alice inside so she could sleep. By the time I stopped, it was around twelve at the least and my body was ragged from all the mental wear and tear I'd been through.

My limbs felt strained as I stared down at Riley. Bits of his clothes were torn off, as were parts of mine, namely my missing right sleeve and the massive holes in my pants. I could tell Riley was growing thirsty and my feral instincts were beginning to grow stronger.

"We should stop," I said quietly, relaxing my body.

"Yes," Riley agreed. "Good job. Nice training. I'm going to go hunt. Jane?"

Jane, who had stayed with us the entire time, nodded and the two sprinted past me to go and hunt while I sighed and made my way inside. The first thing I noticed when I walked into the family room was Alice and Cynthia snuggling on the couch, both girls snoring softly while Emmett, Jasper and Victoria played video games silently next to them.

I smiled at the adorable sight of the two girls together and decided not to disturb them as I sat between Victoria and Jasper. Jasper took my hand in his and gave it a squeeze that I returned as I laid my head on Victoria's shoulder, my sister curling her left arm around me.

We remained that way for another hour and a half before I heard stirring to my right and looked over to see Alice and Cynthia slowly waking up. I smiled and released my brother's hand as Victoria removed her arm from me, giving me the chance to move to her opposite side as the two humans woke up kissing, which was mildly amusing to watch.

Neither girl seemed to mind the intimate skin contact and I cooed at how cute they were, which finally caused them to realize they were being watched, embarrassing both as they broke away.

"You two are adorable," I said, snickering.

Alice poked her sister and sat up to hug me. "Morning," she said, kissing me.

I deepened the kiss and held her close for several minutes, then pulled back. "Morning."

"Your outfit is demolished," she remarked, giggling.

"Yeah, that happens sometimes," I replied with a shrug. "How'd you sleep?"

"Good," she said. "Cynthia's very comfy, but not as comfy as you."

I kissed her forehead. "Well, I certainly hope not."

"How did your training go?" she inquired, nuzzling into my neck. "I saw a few bits of it while I slept, but for the most part, I dreamt of other things. Oh, Cynthia? Your breath stinks."

Cynthia huffed in embarrassment as the rest of us laughed at the random yet entertaining comment. The blonde girl muttered something under her breath and headed upstairs while Alice and I took over their previous position on the couch. I buried my nose into Alice's hair and breathed in her chocolaty scent, uncaring about my wardrobe damage.

"Training went okay," I said, replying to Alice's previous question. "Sometimes I managed to keep myself in control, other times I wasn't as lucky. I got Riley a few times and he got me back as time passed, but we didn't tear each other apart and that's all that matters. He and Jane went to hunt to quell their thirst. So far, the plan has worked for the most part."

"For the most part?" Victoria asked. "That doesn't sound very reassuring."

"I don't see why you can't just kick the guy's ass," Emmett said. "It's no big deal."

I shot my brother a look. "Would you be able to keep yourself calm if Royce King were alive and doing to Rosalie what Edward does to me, Emmett?"

Emmett's body froze and he twitched. "No."

"Exactly," I replied. I saw the questioning look on Alice's eyes and knew she was confused, so I continued. "When someone does the types of thing Edward does, you can't just ignore the past and not get mad. And since we're vampires, our age is even stronger and it becomes difficult to keep our instincts in check. It's even harder than keeping our thirst controlled."

"Do all vampires have this?" Alice asked.

"Yes," Jasper replied. "It's part of our nature. In a way, we're closer to animals than we are to humans and our instincts prove it. Our territorial behavior, our thirst, the temperament we have when it comes to mates, covens and those who have wronged us…all those things and more are part of our daily lives. It's a lot to get used to, but you'll adjust within time."

Alice sighed. "All these stinking things to worry about are bugging me. Why can't it be easy?"

"Life isn't easy," Rosalie stated, appearing from upstairs. She appraised the state of my attire and growled quietly. "I'm going to have to speak with Riley about the way he handled your training session since it's clear you've been bitten a few times." She then looked to Alice. "This stinker of a human wouldn't sleep unless she was close to you like a pain in the ass."

"I want to be near my Bella," Alice said plainly. "I would've slept outside if I could have."

"God, help me," Rosalie groaned. "I hope you're less of a pain as a vampire."

"Doubt it," I snickered.

Alice didn't even bother denying it. "I'm a pain in the ass, but everyone loves me!"

"True," I agreed, kissing her fully on the lips. I smiled against her mouth when Rosalie groaned again and crawled on top of Alice as her fingers moved into my hair.

I deepened the kiss as my hands began combing through her silky short locks, Alice moaning against my mouth, especially when I trailed my tongue along her bottom lip. She quickly granted me access to her wondrous mouth and I delved my tongue in, swirling it around, reveling in the flavor of my Alice. We kissed until I felt Alice push on my chest a little, then I pulled away.

"Wow," Alice said breathlessly, looking at me with her crystalline colored eyes as she caught her breath and smiled at me. "That was…hot."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," I replied. "I figured it was the least I can do since tonight…"

"I know," Alice murmured, stroking my cheek. "I'll be rooting for you with Cynthia."

"Thanks," I said. "I appreciate it, Alice."

Cynthia reappeared at that moment wearing new clothes as she sat across from Alice and I. I could tell she was worried by the look in her eyes and it touched me to know that she cared about our safety, so I rolled off of Alice and went to sit next to her.

"Hey," she said, offering me a tiny smile.

"Is everything alright, Cynthia?" I asked.

"Uh, yeah," she replied, biting her lip. "I'm just…fuck, I'm worried!" She looked at me nervously. "I don't want anything bad to happen to you or your family."

"We'll be fine," Rosalie stated from where she sat.

"Hell yeah," Emmett crooned, giving her a thumbs up.

I pulled Cynthia into a hug and she hugged me back. "You mean the world to my sister, Bella," she whispered into my ear. "And I really like you too. Promise me you'll be okay, for both our sakes, because I know if Alice sees something, she'll freak out and I can't protect her and keep her calm when she gets like that. It's going to be hard enough as it is being somewhere else."

I kissed her cheek. "I'll be fine, Cynthia, one way or another. I won't be alone, either."

She nodded silently and kissed my cheek for a change, then went over to hug her sister. I let the two have a moment together as I sat back into the chair to think about tonight. Within a few hours, I would be taking Alice and Cynthia to La Push to be dropped off under the protection of Raina and the wolves. Raina I trusted, the others, not so much.

Still, it was best that way. They'd be safe just in case anything went awry. That didn't make me any less stressful about what would go down with Edward. There was no telling what tricks he had up his sleeves, since he likely knew we would be coming. I'd be ready, though.

Jasper sent me a wave of calmness to quell my growing stress and I gave him a thankful smile as I let it wrap around me. After a few minutes, I decided to get up and alter my wardrobe, since I looked rather ridiculous running around in torn up clothes. Alice would've have tried getting me to do it anyway since she wanted me to 'look my best while kicking Edward's ass' as she put it.

I headed upstairs and into my room, tossing the ruined clothes on the floor to be thrown away as I opened my closet—which Alice had begun turning into our closet, little by little—and found a pair of jeans and top to wear. It was a simple attire, but given the running and fighting that would take place, simple was the best way to go.

Afterwards, I returned downstairs just as Riley and Jane walked through the door, the gold in their eyes restored and Riley looking as calm as he always did. He offered me a smile when our eyes met and I flung my arms around him in thanks for his help.

"Sorry about almost killing you several times in a row," I said, kissing his cheek as he did the same to me. "I'm grateful for what you've given me, though."

"Anytime," Riley replied.

Rosalie appeared and smacked Riley's shoulder. "That's for your stupid idea, dipshit."

Riley rubbed his shoulder and pouted. "It wasn't stupid…not after we tried it, anyways."

"Still," Rosalie said, glaring at him.

I rolled my eyes. "You're way too overprotective of me, Rose."

"Deal with it," Rosalie replied with a snort. "It's my job."

"Bitch," Jane grunted, earning her a shoulder smack too. "Hey!"

I chuckled at my sister's shenanigans and rejoined Alice and Cynthia on the couch, Alice curling into my arms almost instantly as we watched Emmett, Jasper and Victoria play a video game with the sound up. Cynthia joined them soon after and it became a round robin of playing for about four hours, at which point Carlisle and Esme came home.

"Hello, children," Carlisle greeted us, Esme smiling brightly as we greeted them back. "How is everyone today? And Bella, how was your training?"

"It was alright," I replied. "I'd say…mildly successful."

"Only mildly?" Esme asked.

"I won't know how it will play out until tonight," I replied with a shrug, trying not to think about the severity of my own statement. For all I knew, Riley's plan would backfire and I'd succumb to my own stupidity again. I sure as hell wasn't going to go down without a fight, either way.

"I'm sure you'll do fine, dear," Esme said, offering me a tiny smile.

The room fell silent afterwards and it became a little tense. Everyone was likely thinking about tonight and how things could play out in so many different ways. I wished there was an easier way to deal with, but with Edward's nature, there probably wouldn't be. Jasper ended up sending out waves of calm throughout the room to try and quell the tension. It worked for the most part.

"What time are we going to La Push?" Cynthia asked.

"In about an hour," I replied. "I'll drive you two there myself."

"Okay," she mumbled.

"Oh!" Alice blinked and her eyes glazed over suddenly.

Her fingers started twitching and Cynthia stood and ran upstairs, returning a moment later with a piece of paper and a pen in her hands that she inserted into Alice's. Alice began rapidly scribbling something down on the piece of paper and everyone watched with interest as she drew trees, ground, and then finally every one of us except herself and Cynthia.

"What is it?" Emmett asked, confused.

Alice snapped out of her vision state. "It's all of you, standing in the forest." She handed me the drawing and pointed. "This is the area in the forest where you'll be when you catch wind of Edward's scent. Everything that followed was a blur, which makes me think you started running afterwards. I couldn't see anything after since the vision ended."

"I know that area," Victoria said, pointing. "I recognize the tree arrangement."

We all looked at the fiery haired girl and she shrugged. "What? I pay attention to stupid shit sometimes, okay? I was bored one day, so I happened to note the trees around me…"

"Looks like we know where we're going tonight," Riley remarked. "Good."

"Any sign of my brother?" Jane asked.

"No," Alice replied. "Sorry."

Jane grimaced, then shook her head. "It's fine. I'll track him down tonight, I swear it."

"Don't be stupid about it," Rosalie said. "You have no idea how far gone he is since he's working with the Volturi, Jane. He may be brainwashed beyond repair. We have no way of knowing and neither do you, so don't let your emotions get the best of you."

"Gee, thanks Rose," Jane deadpanned.

"All I'm saying is I want you to be careful," Rosalie said, in a softer voice.

Jane nodded quietly and snuggled into Riley. "We'll find him," he said. "I promise."

The hour passed by fairly quickly and it was soon almost time for me to take the girls to La Push, made even more prevalent when Raina called to check and see that I was coming with them. I told her yes and that we'd be there soon, and made sure that she ensured they'd be protected, even from her own wolves. She vowed it on her life, and that was it.

"Good luck everyone," Cynthia said as she and Alice brought their things down from upstairs.

"Kick his ass," Alice added. "And anyone else's ass."

"Will do!" Emmett boomed.

"Have fun with the stinky dogs," Victoria said with a chuckle.

"You'd best shower when you come back," Rosalie warned, wagging a finger at them.

Alice snorted. "Or what?"

"Or I'll shred your clothes and shave your head," Rosalie replied.

Alice looked mortified by her words and I snickered. "Um…I-I'll shower, I swear."

"Good girl," Rosalie replied, smirking.

Carlisle and Esme gave them hugs and kisses on the forehead, which Alice and Cynthia blushed at, as they'd never received that kind of physical affection from parents before. It made me smile to see them growing attached to my family the way they were and I knew it would only get better from here on out. I wiped the smile from my face, however, as now wasn't the time.

I led the girls outside and drove my car out moments after, Alice jumping in the passenger side, Cynthia climbing in back with their stuff. Alice took my hand in hers, then I drove off, no one speaking the entire ride until I stopped right in front of the border between our land and theirs.

Raina was there, waiting patiently with her arms crossed when the three of us got out. "Hello Bella Cullen," she greeted me, nodding. "Excited for your hunt tonight?"

"Somewhat," I replied, biting my lip.

Alice nudged me. "You can get him, Bella. I have faith in you."

"Thanks, Ali," I said, kissing her. I meant for it to be a quick kiss, but she deepened it and I couldn't make myself pull away, so we stood there and kissed until we were both content. "I love you, Alice. Be safe." I kissed her forehead, then turned to Cynthia. "You too, Cynthia."

"Thanks," Cynthia replied, rubbing the back of her neck. She came over and gave me a hug and the three of us held each other for a solid minute before they pulled away.

They begrudgingly—mostly on Alice's part—broke away and headed across the border to Raina, who placed a hand on each of their shoulders. I nodded to Raina, then turned to head toward my car when I suddenly felt Alice's arms around my back. It made me chuckle.

"Alice, you're supposed to—"

"I know," Alice huffed. "I just…remember, Bella." She cupped my cheeks. "Think of me there with you when you get upset. Hear my voice, smell my scent, feel my arms around you. Do that and I know you'll be able to beat him. I've seen it."

I gazed into her eyes and smiled. "I will."

"Love you," she breathed.

"Love you too," I replied.

Then I pulled away from her in fear that I wouldn't want to leave and jumped into my car before turning around to drive back the way I came. I drove even faster than normal to get back home quicker and, after parking, I rushed inside to join the others as they sat around the family room, the TV off. Now was the time for serious conversation.

"Does everyone know what their designated areas are?" Jasper asked.

"Yeah, we do," Rosalie replied. "We don't need to go over the plan again, Jazz."

"Then what is there to talk about?" Jane asked.

"Other things," Riley replied. "Such as…what do we aim to do about Alice and Cynthia?"

"What do you mean?" I inquired.

"Turning them," he said. "What's the current plan?"

"I don't know," I admitted. "We haven't discussed it. There hasn't been time."

"There's a bit of time now," Riley offered.

I shrugged and explained my idea for turning Cynthia first, then Alice after she graduated from high school, since it'd be much easier for her to 'disappear' that way. Plus, she needed to have a full education, whereas Cynthia had been homeschooled, thus making it no big deal for her. The others seemed to agree with the plan and Carlisle and Esme promised to speak with them later.

Without much else to talk about, things grew quiet until Emmett decided we should do some last minute training as a "warm up" since we wouldn't be leaving for another three hours. Carlisle and Esme were hesitant about the idea, mostly because they didn't want us to lose control of ourselves and fight with each other, but Emmett and Jasper convinced them otherwise.

I ended up sparring with Esme, who was probably the best partner I could choose. Esme was stronger, faster and more durable than everyone other than Carlisle—who equaled her in all areas—and, more than that, she had excellent control over her vampiric instincts, which meant she would be able to keep herself in check if things became heated.

They wouldn't, though, because the very thought of harming Esme felt like I was sticking a burning dagger into my chest. We sparred fairly well together, however, and Esme showed me several tricks to use against someone as fast as Edward would know what I planned on doing. I had to admit; even though Esme couldn't read minds, she acted like she could.

"Jeez," I grumbled as I missed Esme again. "Are you sure you're not a mind reader, Esme?"

Esme chuckled. "No, dear, I'm not sadly. I simply know you and how you fight. I've been watching and training all of you for years, after all. Your style hasn't changed much, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially in this sense."

_It does help,_ I thought. _With Esme knowing how I fight, it's almost the same as Edward. Therefore, it forces me to change up how I fight and try and anticipate her anticipation._

Despite the help I was receiving from Esme and the fact that we'd started fairly early, time just didn't seem to be on our side today. Or maybe it was. Regardless, it was dark out now and everyone unanimously decided it was time to head out to the forest. Victoria led the way since she knew where in the forest Alice saw us standing, which took about three minutes to reach.

Once we were there, we stood in complete silence, waiting. Esme, Carlisle, Jane and Riley stood to my left, Rosalie, Emmett, Victoria and Jasper to my right. No one spoke, the only audible sound being the wind as it blew around us softly. I breathed in every seconds, sniffing the air to grasp at any hint of Edward's scent that I could muster.

A few minutes passed and there was nothing, and while I didn't doubt Alice's vision that tonight would be the night, I was beginning to wonder if this was the best spot to be in. However, as this thought crossed my mind, a faint yet familiar scent filtered into my nostrils. It made my entire body rumble as I breathed it in, recognizing it instantly. Edward.

"It's him," I said lowly.

"Let's move," Jasper said. "Victoria, Rosalie."

"We're going with Bella," Rosalie said.

"Keep your distance," Riley said. "This is Bella's fight, after all."

"We will," Victoria hissed.

"Remember what you've learned, Bella," Esme said, squeezing my shoulder.

I nodded once, then bolted forward as the others split up in their directions. Victoria and Rosalie were both behind me; I could hear them moving as we dashed past trees, stones, bushes and wildlife that didn't have the chance to react, but we paid them no attention. All I could do was look forward, focusing solely on the scent as it grew stronger, following where it went.

My mind was racing as the scent grew stronger and I wondered if Jane's brother would be around as well. If he was, I would do what I could to push him in her direction, since she wouldn't be likely to find him otherwise.

The scent grew strong until it was burning my nostrils and my body came to a halt. Slowly I crept forward until I came to a small clearing until I saw two people standing silently, one dressed in all black, the other wearing a formal attire. It didn't take me long to figure out who was who and I quieted my thoughts to listen in on them.

"Why did you ask to meet here?" asked the other, who I knew to be Alec.

"Insurance," Edward replied wryly, chuckling. "You Volturi are tricky people and I didn't want you to ambush me when I didn't have a way to escape. At least here, I can run if I need to, as I'm much faster than you are, boy. And yes, I am quite serious."

Alec remained silent for a moment before responding. "At any rate, you know why I'm here."

"Yes, yes," Edward replied. "Tell your masters I'm not on their side, nor am I against them. I have my own reasons for doing the things I've done, including allying with the Thornes, but they needn't worry themselves. My partnership with those fools is temporary. I'm not dense enough to try allying with outlaws, after all, despite what Aro may believe."

"You're treading awful close to the edge, Edward Masen," Alec replied.

"And?" Edward asked. "So long as I don't break a law, I'm fine. I see no point in telling you what I already know."

"You are the one who requested this meeting," Alec hissed, growing agitated. "Why did you summon the Volturi, then, if not to apologize for your transgressions?"

Edward laughed. "Because, fool, I have some news you may be interested in hearing. There's a coven here, the Cullens, that happens to be breaking one of the Volturi's precious laws. They have with them two human girls who know their secret, yet they have neither been turned nor eaten. Why not tell your masters, hmm? They'd love to learn of this."

"Humans?" Alec questioned. "And you have proof of this?"

"Is my word not good enough?" Edward scoffed. "Go there and you'll see."

"You realize if you're wrong about this, you'll need to have a good escape plan," Alec replied coldly. "You've lied to us on several occasions already. Once more, and your standing with the Volturi will be dissolved entirely, Masen."

"I'm not wrong," Edward replied. "Am I, Isabella?"

I didn't bother denying my presence and leapt down from where I was, and I noticed my sisters weren't behind me like I'd thought they would be, which likely meant I'd run faster than either of them and that they were still behind me. My eyes darted between the amused grin of Edward and the startled expression of Alec and I could see the resemblance he had to his sister.

"Jane's not very happy with you," I remarked quietly.

Alec's eyes widened in shock. "W-what? Jane?"

"Yes, Jane," I replied. "You didn't try contacting her. Is it because the Volturi lied to you and told you she was dead? If that's the case, they're lying. She's been looking for you for years, Alec, and she's out here tonight to find you. You should go to her and talk, because if you try to run away, she'll track you down. She's determined."

Alec didn't know what to say, but he wouldn't have gotten the chance. "Oh Isabella," Edward laughed, shaking his head. "You amuse me, Isabella. You come her into the forest to find me, yet the first thing you do is ignore me and speak to an incompetent Volturi guard. What exactly are you aiming to do, hmm? Reunite long lost brother and sister? How touching."

I ignored him again, amazingly enough, and kept my focus on Alec. "Go to her, Alec. Find her, speak to her, then leave the Volturi. They're no good."

Alec looked troubled. "It's not that easy…"

"Yes, it is," I replied. "Forget Chelsea's gift or any threats they send your way; if you choose to leave, they cannot stop you. It's their law, after all, and you remind them of that. Marcus and Didyme will allow it; they'll be on your side. Trust me, Alec. You'll be happier that way. Now please, go to Jane and speak with her. She's missed you."

"I can't," Alec replied. "I can't let her see me…not like this."

I sighed. "Go, then. You'd best be heading left, as she's to the right. Beat it."

Alec grimaced, then bolted in the direction I'd suggested, unaware that Jane was actually moving in that direction, which would at least give her the chance to catch him. Since he didn't know her scent, he wouldn't know until it was too late.

Edward laughed, breaking me from my thoughts. "You are one of a kind, Isabella."

I turned to face Edward and stared back into his soulless eyes in silence. Nothing. I couldn't for the life of me understand why, but for some reason, I wasn't enraged to the point of wanting to rip Edward into pieces by the mere sight of him, not to mention hearing his voice. It was certainly odd, but the smug look he was giving me did irk me a little.

"So tell me, did Alice tell you I would be here?" Edward asked.

"What's it matter?" I asked.

"No reason," he replied. "I'm simply curious. No doubt you thought you would come here and I would have a trap set of some kind, yes? It was tempting, but in all honesty, I felt there was no need to trap you. You would come if you knew I'd be here one way or the other, and here you are, standing before me, my ex-mate whoring around with a human."

_You're trying to anger me,_ I thought, twitching at the insult to Alice. _That's just like you._

"Oh, I'm sorry," he replied mockingly. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. After all, I should thank that little bag of flesh for keeping you on your toes. It makes our game much more entertaining, especially with Ebony thrown into it, wouldn't you agree?"

I cringed at the memory of Ebony. "What did you do to her when she returned to you?"

"Me?" He acted offended. "Why, nothing, dear Isabella. She's my child, why would I ever do anything harmful to her? You're the one who put those lies into her head, the one who made her think that maybe I was the one in the wrong. Tsk tsk, I'm hurt. We both know you're simply a weak-minded woman who doesn't know her place, nothing more.

"As far as Ebony goes, I sent her away until I need her again." He smiled wickedly. "You see, that foolish little girl follows my every commandment, as a woman should, and I aim to use her against you again and again. I'll make her suffer and blame it on you just to watch your face twist into agony as your spirit is crushed until you're on your knees, begging for mercy.

"And when that happens, I'll beat you within an inch of your miserable life, then turn to Ebony, stroke her hair, and rip her head off just so you can watch. I want to see the look in your eyes and hear the hatred in your thoughts as you watch me tear our daughter into pieces, knowing you can do nothing to save her. Then I'll kill everyone you love, starting with your precious Alice."

My body was quivering in fury at his words as the beast within me wanted to be let free. I clenched my hands into tightened fists as I glared the monster before me down, trying as hard as I could to keep myself in check, to not let him win.

Edward chuckled. "You're so pitiful, Isabella. You know you can't beat me. You'll lose your temper and strike me, then I'll make a fool of you and wound you for your precious family to find. Hell, I might even start killing them off just for the fun of it, that way, you'll be all by yourself, without anyone to protect or save you ever again."

He tapped his chin in thought and grinned. "I wonder…who should I kill first? Your mother? Your father? Perhaps a brother or two, no, wait…that blonde girl, the one who came to your rescue the last time. What was her name? Rosalie? What if I kill her, hmm?"

"Shut. Up," I snarled. "Leave them out of this!"

"Or what?" Edward taunted, pushing me back. "You'll cry about it like you did when Ebony left you there in the woods, broken and miserable because of your failings?"

I lost it. I roared wildly and lunged for the bastard's throat, but he dodged with ease and backpedalled as I chomped at the air. I lunged again and began rapidly swinging my fists, yet Edward knew ahead of time what I would be doing and easily avoided them, chuckling the entire time until he caught my fist and thrust me back.

"Pathetic," Edward laughed.

"_**FUCK YOU!"**_ I snapped, speeding towards him.

Again and again, my attacks missed and Edward continued to laugh at me. He smacked me on the shoulder, kissed my cheek and even flicked me in the nose as I continued to blunder, even falling on the ground much, my rage and embarrassment causing me to scream and pound at the ground as I cursed Edward in my head.

"_**You son of a bitch!"**_ I snarled, getting to my feet. "I'll kill you!"

Suddenly, before I could react, Edward had me by the throat, clutching it tightly as he raised me into the air, a sinister grin sitting on his face like a snake ready to ensnare its prey.

"You never change," he said, bringing me closer to his face. "You are the same weak little girl I fought not too long ago and you will always be that weak little girl."

_Damn, damn, damn!_ I cursed. _Why does this always happen? Why? Why can't I…_

"Because you're a fool," Edward replied. "It's that simple"

I glared at him for a moment, the grinned. "Gotcha."

My left foot was striking him hard between the legs before Edward hand the chance to react, and he released me, letting out a loud, high pitched yelp of pain as I got to my feet. I had my foot pressed into his nether region fairly quickly, pressing down in it, making Edward scream.

"Well I'll be," I remarked. "You have a dick. And here I thought my pregnancy was a miracle."

"H-how?!" Edward croaked out.

"Practice," I replied, sneering. "Now do me a favor, Edward…scream for me."

Edward grimaced and thrust himself away from me, quickly getting to his feet in the process as I teetered back and caught my footing. He glared at me with venom in his eyes and I smiled triumphantly both outside and in at catching the bastard off guard.

"Very funny, Isabella," Edward spat. "But you won't be laughing when you realize you just missed your chance at "catching" me, because I'm faster than you!"

Without another word, Edward whipped around and sprinted into the woods. Victoria and Rosalie appeared at that moment, their lips cracked into grins at what I'd done, then we began dashing after Edward. I assumed without asking that they'd been there the entire time, but wanted to let me deal with Edward, which pleased me.

I pushed those thoughts away, however, as now wasn't the time. The chase had begun.

**A/N: I don't have any excuses. I'm sorry. Here's the chapter. **

**I'm in need of a new beta. If anyone is interested for real, PM me. If not, don't worry about it. Later.**


	50. Frostbite

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. I own my characters and ideas.**

**This chapter has not been beta-ed. If you catch any mistakes, please inform me.**

**Frostbite**

"Bella, slow down!" Rosalie called behind me.

She was a good distance away from me, but I didn't listen. I was focused on catching up to Edward, who had a good distance away from me thanks to his speed. I was faster, however, and while I knew I could easily reach him if I wanted to, something about the excitement of the chase prevented me from spoiling it no matter how stupid I knew it was.

_Who am I kidding?_ I thought. _This is fun!_

I kept my eyes trained forward as I moved through the trees, keeping a look out for anything that could potentially cause me to stop chasing Edward. Knowing how he was, it wouldn't surprise me if he'd turned a few humans to make them his allies, as he'd done so in the past, though they tended not to survive for very long since they often failed their tasks.

There was one time when Edward turned four boys around his age into vampires. They were young and naïve, weaknesses he preyed on like the sadistic beast he was. He manipulated them into becoming his pawns, then sent them after me to deliver a "message". The message, of course, was beating me down within an inch of my life for fun. They failed.

Eventually, after several tense minutes of running, I exited the trees and came to a wide spread clearing with only a few scattered trees around it. Edward was standing in the center with a cell phone in his hand that he quickly crushed and tossed to the ground.

He had his usual cocky grin on his face, but his eyes betrayed his true emotions; he was riled up by my earlier act and I could tell he was trying to figure out how I'd been able to kick his pride right where it hurt. It made me smile, especially when he twitched at my thoughts.

"Funny, Isabella," Edward hissed. "But you won't be smiling for long."

Victoria and Rosalie appeared moments later, each standing at one of my sides. "So this is the infamous Edward Masen," Victoria said, tilting her head to one side. "He looks like a gutless weasel with caterpillars for eyebrows and a horse's mouth. How hideous."

"That's putting it mildly," Rosalie hissed in agreement. "You're gonna die, motherfucker."

"Such language," Edward mocked. "In my day, women would be struck for speaking without proper manners, but it's obvious the men of this generation have lost their touch. Don't fear, ladies, you'll learn your place rather quickly, I can guarantee that much."

All three of us growled at his words. "Oh yeah, fucker's gonna die," Victoria hissed.

"Definitely," I said. Then I noticed his lips twitching into a grin and I knew something was up, so I sniffed the air and caught wind of several unfamiliar scents. "Looks like you've been busy turning more innocent humans into your unwitting pawns, eh, Edward?"

I got my answer in the form of five unknown young males whipping out from the trees, each with blood red eyes and savage grimaces on their faces as they stopped around Edward, as if they were shielding him from the three of us. I knew right away that they were newborns; the way they moved, edgy and tense, the dark color of their eyes, the bloodlust radiating off of them…

"Oh no, newborns, whatever will we do?" Victoria said mockingly.

"Yes, us poor girls can't _possibly_ fight against them," Rosalie said, rolling her eyes.

I said nothing and kept my gaze on Edward, watching his every move. The newborns looked to him confusedly, uncertain of what to do and I figured the snide remarks my sisters made had caught them off guard a bit. Edward's smug grin merely grew as he glanced between them.

"Derek, Jeremy, Connor, Michael, Austin, it's time you repay me," he said, pointing to the three of us. "Kill the redhead and the blonde girls, their lives are meaningless and they are weak, fragile women. The brunette I want you to beat, but don't kill her. She is my toy and I wish to play with her one final time before I crush her into dust. Go."

The five boys nodded, growled, then lunged towards us. "This'll be fun," Victoria crooned, cracking her knuckles and running in without glancing at Rosalie or I.

Grinning like a demon, Victoria snarled and barreled into one vampire, then spun around and kicked another in the throat. Rosalie and I rushed in shortly after and began fighting against the other newborns, myself fighting the tallest and strongest looking of the group while Rosalie and Victoria fought two newborns each, since only they'd be crazy enough to do it.

He swung a massive arm at me with his teeth bared, but I easily dodged it. "Stay still!" he growled, trying several times to hit me and failing. I could tell he favored brawn over speed and that he wasn't very smart, otherwise he would know how to better use his vampire abilities. It made it easy for me to dance around him and make him look—and feel—foolish.

I swatted him around a few times as he continued to fail in attacking me. I caught a glimpse of Edward watching on, which wasn't anything unusual since he enjoyed watching his guinea pigs get torn to shreds. I'd always believed he somehow got off on hearing their agonized thoughts as they were killed, asking him to come to their aid and save them.

Edward laughed. "Think that all you want, Isabella, it changes nothing!"

_Asshole,_ I hissed in my head.

The newborn I was fighting lunged for me, but I tripped him up, making him fall. For a moment, I felt a bit of sympathy for the deluded idiot, yet I knew there was no chance in convincing him that Edward was a lying piece of shit. Edward seemed to have that effect on people; once he got into their head, he was there for good and he could make them do what he pleased.

Using the newborn's embarrassing moment to my advantage, I rapidly glanced around to see how my sisters were faring. Victoria was, as I guessed, being herself: crazy, unruly and giving the newborns she was fighting hell. One of the newborns was already missing an arm and the other was limping from a hunk of his knee being torn off.

Neither was doing well despite still trying, even though Victoria was just playing with them now the way she often did with her opponents. It was scary to see how Victoria acted to her enemies and it made me thankful she was on our side because she was one vampire I would not want to face against. If anything, I'd rather end my own life.

Rosalie, on the other hand, was beating the pulp out of the two newborns she was fighting against, the point where both of them looked like they were ready to crumble into pieces at any given second from the number of cracks on their bodies. Like Victoria, however, Rosalie was toying with her opponents. Both my sisters had a sadistic side to them, it seemed.

"BITCH!" roared the newborn from behind me, and I quickly ducked under his fist.

"You fools!" Edward shouted. "Finish them already!"

I snorted. "Sorry, pal. I'm going to have to kill you."

"Try it!" spat the newborn.

I quickly sank my teeth into his shoulder and tore out a good sized chunk of his skin, causing the large male to scream in pain and clutch at the area. I speedily let loose a barrage of strikes to his midsection to weaken his skin and bring him to his knees, then grabbed him behind his head and slammed him face first into the ground, using the chance to see where Edward was.

Just as I looked up I saw the coward turning to run away and I growled in annoyance. The newborn suddenly stood and nearly landed a strike on me, anger flashing in his pitch black eyes as he let out a loud snarl. I snarled back and prepared to tear his throat out when another body collided into his body, sending him flying backwards.

"Esme!" I breathed.

My mother turned to smile at me. "Go, dear. I'll handle this poor fool."

I nodded and bolted after Edward, knowing this was for the best. Edward was my enemy to face and I needed to face him alone, without any help. The others would do the same if they had their own adversaries in Edward's place; it was an unspoken credo for vampires that pride, no matter how small or big, held some form of value in matters such as this.

This wasn't about pride for me, though, at least not primarily. Edward was a disease, a plague to anyone and everyone he met, and like any sickness, he needed to be eradicated. At one point in time, there might have been something about Edward to warrant sympathy, but whatever it was, it died when he forced himself onto me, then took my child and left me for dead.

As I ran, my primal instincts threatened to take over, but I pushed them back. I remembered what I'd done during my training with Riley and focused on Alice.

"_I'm here with you, Bella,"_ I imagined her saying to me. _"Don't let him get to you. He isn't the one in control, you are. You can do this. I have faith in you, my love."_

Her voice was comforting and helped quell the feral rage that threatened to spill out of me at any moment. It was odd, though, that earlier, when I first stood there with Edward, I was eerily calm. Now, when he was running, trying to escape me, my anger was beginning to rise.

_I'm going to kill him,_ I growled in my head. _For everything he's done. For Alice, Ebony, myself…Edward can't be allowed to walk another day on this planet!_

Each step I took, I remembered the things he'd done in the past. Every snide, hurtful remark, every purposeful evasion, the threats, the grinning, the laughing, imagining the things he did to Ebony, his own daughter, his wicked plans for Alice and what he would have done to her if she'd stayed at that asylum, what he might have done to me.

I thought about one of the few times I'd come close to dying because of him, because my temper had gotten the best of me and I played right into Edward's hands.

_It was forty years ago, a time when we were living in the east, though the name of state escapes me, but I know it was a cloudy place that where we blended in well. That day in particular, I was out on my own, away from town to clear my head. I was angry, at myself, for my past failings at catching any trace of Edward, and being alone was what I needed._

_Or so I thought, because after an hour and a half of wandering by myself, I came upon Edward's scent and threw everything to the wind to follow it. In my mind, all I could think about was finding him and ripping him into bits. I'd wanted it for years ever since I was turned and I truly prayed today would be that day. I would revel in killing him, too._

_I tracked the scent down until for several minutes until I came to a forest area. That was where it grew powerful and I knew I'd found Edward. His laughter signified I was correct and within seconds, I was glaring up at him as he smiled down at me from a tree._

"_Hello, Isabella," he greeted me."How nice to see you again."_

"_You bastard!" I snarled, clawing up the tree to try and reach him._

_Edward easily jumped to another tree and clapped. "Nice attempt, my dear, but you're no match for me and you know it. You're a woman, Isabella. You are weaker than I am, something you should get through your thick skull. I will always be quicker, stronger and better than you."_

_I gritted my teeth. "No, you're a heartless monster and you—"_

_Before I could finish, he leapt from where he'd been standing and had me by the throat, pinning me to the tree with a fierce grip as a guttural growl escaped his mouth. I could see the anger in his eyes and his teeth were dripping with venom as he held me there with one arm._

"_You're right, Isabella," he seethed, tightening his grip on me. "I am a monster. A despicable, soulless abomination forced to forever walk this earth until someone kills me. You know what, though? So are you. You are a demon just as I am, you have no soul and you deserve to die because what you are. I wonder…should I end your miserable existence?"_

_I squirmed about to free myself from his grasp, ultimately managing to free myself by spitting venom into his faces. Edward growled and released me, giving me the chance to distance myself from him, but not for long, as my anger quickly returned and I used his temporarily weakened state to try and attack him. He recovered too quickly, however._

"_You're a fool," Edward mocked, backhanding me for my efforts. _

_I crashed down onto the ground and growled again. "Damn you!"_

"_Such language," Edward chided, swiftly kicking me backwards. "A woman should never use that sort of language, Isabella. Must I repeat myself?"_

_I didn't listen to him and tried again. And again. And again. I failed each time, Edward making short work of humiliating me and taunting me all the while. It infuriated me to the point where I couldn't even think straight; all I could think about was killing him._

_Killkillkillkill! I snarled in my head. I let out a roar and Edward, smirking as usual, beckoned me forward with a wave of his hand. My instincts took over and I lunged at him with my teeth bared, and I ended up biting into a tree instead. I spat out the bark I ripped from the tree and punched a hole through it, knocking the tree down like it was as light as a feather._

"_You should just give up, Isabella," Edward said, shaking his head. "You're going to lose."_

"_No!" I snapped. "I refuse! I'm going to kill you!"_

"_Why kill me?" Edward asked. "Why not join me instead? You belong at my side, Isabella."_

_I grimaced, mortified at the thought. "There's no way in Hell I would ever join you, Edward."_

"_Again with the language," Edward sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You make me sad, Isabella. Have you completely forgotten about our child? Our Ebony, the little girl who hasn't seen you in so many years? Do you have any idea what it's been like for her to be alone without her mother? Do you know how hurt she is?"_

_His words stung my undead heart and I cringed when I thought about her. I hadn't seen her since the day she came out of me and Edward had taken her away. I didn't even know she had a name until now, for that matter. Ebony. That was her name?_

"_Yes, Isabella," Edward said in a mocking voice. "I named her Ebony, as it fit her perfectly. She approved of it as well. It's astounding, really, to see the effect of a child born of a monster and a mortal. She's aged rather quickly and stopped after five years, yet she's no older than you. You should meet her, Isabella. She'd be delighted to meet you."_

_Meet her. My daughter. Ebony. Staying with Edward. Abandoning the Cullens. The parents who took me in and became mine. My siblings. Could I?_

_No, I thought. I couldn't do that. _

_Edward shook his head. "You disappoint me, Isabella."_

"_Silence!" I hissed._

_Edward was suddenly gone from my line of view, but it didn't take me long to feel his arms wrapped around my neck from behind. He clenched me into an iron tight grip and lifted me into the air to prevent me from breaking free and I quickly began to thrash around and growl as I tried to free myself as I had before, to no avail._

"_It's funny," Edward remarked. "I could kill you easily right now."_

_He was right; one motion of his arms and I'd be dead. "No," I breathed, my anger subsiding, replaced by growing fear as Edward laughed behind me._

"_Yes, that's it, Isabella," Edward purred in a sickening velvety voice. "Beg for your life, for the mercy you don't deserve. I want you to beg and cry, Isabella. Tell me why I should let you live or I'll rip your head off, use your body for my own needs, then burn you."_

"_N-no," I forced out as he tightened his hold. "I won't."_

"_Shame," Edward sighed. "What to do, what to do…"_

_Minutes passed and I tried my best to keep my fear in check, but it was difficult when I could do nothing to fight Edward off. Eventually, he released me from his grip and started to laugh when I flopped to the ground in shock, the fear of death hanging over me like a cloud. I pushed it away, however, and got to my feet, just as Edward leaned in._

_His lips brushed against my right cheek and I felt utterly repulsed by the action. I pushed him off of me quickly and jumped back, the fear gone and my anger returning. I crouched down with my teeth bared and growled at the monster, but he merely laughed again. _

"_Goodbye, Isabella," he said. "You've entertained me enough for one day."_

"_No you don't!" I snapped, lunging again like a fool._

_Edward struck me across the face, knocking me to the ground, then pressed his foot to my throat and leaned down as I held in the urge to scream. Why couldn't I beat him? Why did he always make me look like a fool? Why?_

"_Because you are worthless," he cooed. "And you always will be." _

I shook the thoughts from my head and felt as though there was a rabid beast inside of me that wanted to be freed and kill everything in sight. I saw red flash across my eyes as I surged forward, my mind swarming with different memories of Edward throughout my life. He could not survive another day. There was just…no way.

He was a threat to everyone I loved and he would continue to be a threat for as long as his stinking carcass of a body was allowed to walk this earth. I couldn't allow that. My brothers, sisters, mother, father, lover…their lives were mine to protect at this very moment.

Fury reverberated through my body and I pushed my body forward at the speeds only I could move, making everything around me look like vague lines as I caught up to Edward. I let out a guttural roar when I saw him, my mouth salivating with burning venom that wanted to seep into his body and make him suffer, and suffer he would.

_I'm going to kill you, Edward!_ I snarled in my head.

Edward turned around as I clocked him upside the face, sending him crashing through a tree. He rolled through the air at least four times before he skidded on the ground, groaning as he got to his feet. I stopped a few inches away from him and Edward swiftly jumped back, a cocky grin forming on his face, though it was forced.

"I'm impressed, Isabella," he said. "I would have thought—"

I snarled and blurred forward, grabbing hold of his right wrist with my teeth. I looked into his eyes; those cold, bloodthirsty eyes that often held smugness and self righteousness that I loathed above all else, and saw fear in them for the first time when they widened, and I allowed myself a grin as I ripped his hand clean off and spat it out of my mouth.

The scream that tore out of Edward's mouth was music to my ears as he rolled around and clutched the stub where his hand had once been. His scream was noticeably high pitched, too, and frantic sounding as he sputtered words rapidly under his breath. It was almost pitiful to see him in this state, or it would be if Hell froze over. Instead, I laughed.

"You fucking whore!" Edward screeched shrilly, like a little girl whose favorite doll had been stolen and crushed into nothingness before her very eyes. "H-how dare you?!"

"How dare I?" I asked, my laughter dissolving into strained anger. "You've got a lot of nerve to ask me that, you son of a bitch. After all the shit you've put me through…"

Edward clicked his teeth and clambered to his feet, glaring at me. "You listen to me, you worthless little bitch, because I'm not going to repeat myself a second time. If you think for one moment that you, a woman, can kill me, you had better think again! I am Edward Masen Jr., and I will not be belittled by some idiotic bitch of a girl like—"

I silenced him with a vicious strike to his face, faster than he could react. He fell to the ground and I saw the cracks in his skin, which made me think back to that night in the forest when Edward had made me feel weak. It hadn't been because I was truly weaker than he was, it was because I'd fallen into his trap and let him get into my head.

"Never again, Edward," I glowered. "You will never get in my head again."

"Y-you…think you can kill me?" he asked, giving me a strained laugh.

I felt the rage I'd been holding in my chest and I closed my eyes. "No," I replied.

When I reopened my eyes, I let go of Bella Cullen. I kicked her to the curb and allowed the real Bella to come out; giving the beast within me the chance she'd been waiting for, the moment she'd wanted for years. All the hate, pain, bitterness, sorrow, anger, self-loathing, disgust...every single emotion I'd felt thanks to Edward. I released it all.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAH!" The roar erupted from my mouth as I felt empowered by emotion. Thoughts changed. Colors blurred. Hate. Pain. Fury. Venom burning in mouth and throat. Bloodlust. Need to spill blood. Kill. Kill. KILL.

Pounce on him. Enemy. Wicked enemy. Always grinning, always smirking, laughing. Must make it stop. Will stop it. Anger takes control. Punch in the face. He groans, cracks are left. I grin, evil, twisted, vicious. Don't care. I like it. His pain. My pleasure. He will suffer. I growl, strike him with other hand. Again. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right.

Strikestrikestrikestrikestri kestrikestrikestrike! Faster. Faster! Don't let up. Growl low, keep moving, speeding up. Again and again and again. Face. Chest. Shoulder. Face. Shoulder. Arm. Chest. Stomach. Face. Face! Cracking bones, crushing veins. Cracks in skin. Brittle, like stone, cracking each second. Fasterfasterfaster! Pain! Make him feel pain! Suffer!

Memories flash. Every tear shed. Every mocking word. Every laugh. Every smirk. Make me feel weak. Insult me. Spit on me. Touch me. Strike me. Threaten coven. Threaten mate. Stalk mate. His eyes watching her. I snarl again. My arms don't stop. Still moving. Faster with each second. I stand. Feel tears. Hold them in. Won't give him satisfaction. No. No weakness. Not now.

Venom drips from mouth. Stings body. He hisses. Quiet. Muffled. Weak. I grin wider. Pummel bastard. Not through. Won't be. Not enough. No. Needs to suffer more. Make him scream. Beg. Yes, beg. Beg for mercy. Hurt him. Hurt. Hurt! HURT! His body stills. He doesn't move. No sounds. I don't stop. Not good enough. Make him scream. Make him!

Try to speak. Shout command. Tell him. Scream. Can't. Words muffled. Come out as growl, loud and angry. Inhuman. Guttural. Garbled. Don't care. Thoughts. He can read them. Read. See my pain. Feel my pain. Beg for mercy! Beg. Bastard, beg! No response. Angers me. Speed. Arms moving so quickly. Time slowing? Can't tell. Don't care. Enjoying too much.

Time passes. Seconds. Minutes. Hours? Don't know. Hard to tell. Lost track. Never kept track. I don't let up. Venom burns. Flakes hit my face. What was that? Uncertain. Ignore. Seconds, minutes, time. Passes by. More flakes. Small, hard. One. Two. Four. Seven. Number increases, size remains small. Move arms. Flakes continue. Everywhere. Flakes. Why? Rocks. That's it.

Vision blur starts to clear. Arm speed decreases. Slows. Time normal. Fists continue. Refuse to stop yet. Mind begins to clear. Thoughts expand. Anger dissipates. Hate. Fury. Sorrow. Pain. All swirling together inside, like a tornado. The tornado is losing strength and size, yet it also feels as though the emotions are seeping out of my body. Little by little, my body relaxes.

The tension is slowly relieved as my senses slowly return to me and, after another minute or two, my arms stop movement. I force myself to stand and I notice how numb my hands feel, a very strange sensation for a vampire, as we normally can't feel "numb". Then I look at my hands and gasp; they're full of cracks, as if they're ready to crumble at any second.

As I stare at my hands, they slowly begin to piece themselves together. I wait until they look only moderately cracked before I bother to look down at Edward. Holy. Shit.

Edward didn't even look remotely human anymore. The flakes that had been hitting my skin weren't actually rocks; they were pieces of Edward's _skin_. As his body lay there motionlessly, I couldn't even tell where his face was anymore. I didn't see his eyes, his huge eyebrows, nothing; it was as if I'd erased them with the amount of damage I'd done to him.

"Whoa," I breathed, unable to do little more than stare at Edward's unmoving body. I wondered if I'd somehow killed him by beating him senseless. Did I? To be certain, I kicked his leg to see if he would react and got, just barely, a low pitched grunt I barely heard, but it was enough to prove to me that he was indeed still "alive". That made me glad, strangely.

"Who was it you said was weak, Edward?" I asked with a sneer. "You've called me a bitch, pitiful, pathetic, insignificant, worthless, a monster, a whore…the list goes on, but one thing you never stop repeating is the fact that I, a woman, am weaker than you. And yet here you are, a mess of broken skin, inches from death, and I stand above you. Whose weak now, bitch?"

Edward could only grunt in response as the cracks began to fill up at a painstakingly slow rate, but I had no intention of letting them finish. I was going to kill him, here and now, and while I wanted to savor it, I wasn't going to waste my time.

"I want you to think of something, Edward," I said as I stepped over him so my fist was hovering over his throat. "You've tormented me my entire existence. You come off as a smug big shot that belittles women and thinks he's the best in the world. I've got nose for you, Edward. You aren't. You are a sick, twisted, gutless piece of shit, and you truly are a monster.

"Even if some miracle happens and you survive this day, I will not stop hunting you, but from here on out, your game is over. I am no longer the victim that you can rile up with your petty insults and your stupid smirk. I will not fall for your traps. I am strong, Edward, stronger than you could even begin to believe. I have a mate and a family. I have love. You have nothing.

"So the next time you think about mocking me for my thoughts or making fun of me, remember this day, and what I did to you. Remember the pain you're in as you stare up at me, unable to move a muscle. Because what if you do survive, I'll make it twice as painful. If. And since I don't see anyone coming to save you, looks like I won't have to worry. Bye bye, Edward."

I raised my fist, but as I attempted to bring it down, my arm stopped. Confused, I looked and saw that there was ice wrapped around my entire arm. I immediately cracked the ice to free my arm and wriggle it around, baffled by what was going on.

_What the hell?_ I thought. _Edward isn't doing this. Then who…?_

"I'm impressed," said a female voice from my right. I whipped my head around and saw a girl with red eyes and blonde hair standing a few feet away from me, grinning. At first, I didn't recognize her, but then I saw the crest around her throat and I quickly recalled meeting her not too long ago: Adira Thorne! "You made quite a mess out of my boyfriend, Cullen."

Wait. "What?" I asked.

"You heard me," she replied, slowly moving towards me, the grass beneath her feet becoming surrounded by frost. "You hurt my boyfriend. Pretty badly, it would seem. That makes me…angry, to say the least. I happen to like him, you see. And when someone hurts something I like, it pisses me off. So…I'd like you to stop."

I looked at the blonde girl, stunned. "What?"

"Are you hard of hearing, bitch?" she seethed. "Get the fuck away from him!"

I snapped back into reality at that moment, but I was still astounded. Adira was Edward's girlfriend. Did that mean…were they mates? Was that possible? I furrowed my brow, my eyes darting between Edward and Adira. Them. Mates. It didn't compute with my brain; how in God's name could anyone ever fall in love with a monster like him?

"You're mates?" I asked, unable to do much else from the shock.

"Yes, we are," Adira replied, beaming. "Now please step away before I kill you."

"No," I hissed. "I'm not letting him live another day. You can kiss my ass."

Adira sneered. "I think not."

She extended her right hand and a burst of frost shot out from it, colliding into my right shoulder and engulfing my arm in ice, preventing it from moving as a painful cold sting surged through my arm, making me wince. How was this possible? Vampires couldn't get cold!

The ice quickly started covering more of my body and I tried to attack her to get it to stop, but it didn't do me any good. Within seconds, both my legs were frozen and only my left arm, half my chest and my face were untouched by the ice that was rapidly swallowing me whole. I cringed at the pain and struggled to free myself, Adira's laughter ringing in my ears.

"You poor fool," Adira sighed. "You didn't know Edward had a mate, didn't you? Silly girl, he's had me for years now. It's a shame, though. I would've enjoyed fighting you, but I'm afraid time is short and I'm going to need to bring my mate to some blood. Where are those delectable little humans of yours at, hmm? I'm sure they'd make good meals."

"Fuck you," I spat, my head the only remaining part of me that could move.

Adira smiled. "Don't worry, I won't kill you. The ice will hold you for a good while, long enough for us to escape. It's quite the gift, isn't it? The power to create and manipulate ice with the power to freeze a vampire solid…it's stupendous." She leaned in close to my ear. "I'm going to turn your humans into works of art, my dear girl. It will be so much fun."

I spat in her face and she growled in annoyance. "You won't get them. Not today."

"Maybe not," she replied. "But for the time being…let's turn you into a swan, shall we?"

The ice spread and closed in on my face, freezing everything in place. I could vaguely see through the thick layer of ice that now surrounded my face, giving me a good look at Adira as she waved her arms around, shaping the frost into that of a swan. Once she was satisfied, she grinned and picked up Edward's limp body and severed hand.

Then she dashed away, but I couldn't watch for much longer, because the pain I felt overcame everything else and my darkness took me, even with my eyes still open.

**A/N: And then she broke the ice and beat the bitch senseless, killed her and Edward. The end. :D**

**Oh. Wait. No. Sorry, not the end. Yeah, I know, "Bella should have just killed him" or something like that, but think about it: would you not want to savor that vengeance in every sense against someone like that? I would. Needless to say, there's no fun in killing off someone that easily. No, I want to make my characters work for it, so that's what's going to happen. Besides, who would have thought Eddie had a mate? **

**Okay, I promised someone (your name escapes me, I'm terribly sorry) via PM that I would not end this on a negative note, so I shall post the next chapter in a few days. Yes, a few days, not a week or two. Sorry folks, school and life became a you-know-what, and my primary focus was that novel, which I'm in a bit of a rut on right now. Anyways, I apologize and I hope you half-enjoyed this chapter.**

**Peace out. **


	51. Frozen Hearts

**Disclaimer: I own my characters and ideas only. Not Twilight.**

**A/N: Before I let this chapter go, I wanted to say something real quick. Last chapter, some of you weren't too thrilled with what went down. I understand that and I am going to listen to two in particular who had genuine feedback, not because I want to be a crowd pleaser, but because their words were truthful and I can honestly agree with them. I'm not going to change how I do things overall, but alterations here and there aren't a bad thing. It's a learning process for me, girls and guys. I'm still learning, and that will no doubt show. ****I do wish to thank those two people for being respectful with their criticism. It's been noted.**

**This chapter is aesthetically dedicated to Paige Turner, who has been an amazing friend to me for several months, and whom I owe for giving me encouraging words. So thank you, Paige. I appreciate it.**

**This chapter has not been beta-ed. If you catch any mistakes, please PM me.**

**Frozen Hearts**

_My body feels…cold. _This is the first thought that goes through my mind when I regain consciousness. It's such a surreal sensation for me; I don't know what to think. There's brightness before me, but I can't see. I can't blink, or smell, or speak, or move.

I feel as though I'm floating in some kind of prison. I tried to twitch my fingers, but nothing is working. I'm terrified because of this fact; am I dead? Did something kill me? It's like I'm in trapped in some kind of nightmare world or something. What's going on?

Something seems to flicker in the brightness. It's vague, but I'm almost positive I can see…blonde hair? Is that what I'm looking at? I can't tell. It's too hard. Seconds—or is it minutes?—pass and I see more blonde. Three? There's also brown head, dark brown. And orange like fire. It has to be hair. What else could it be?

_Crack._ I hear something, a cracking noise. Then another. _Crack. Crack. Crack. _My vision slowly becomes cleared up and I can see things, but it's still too fuzzy. The sound of shattering echoed in my ears and my body finally found itself free. It took me a few moments to collect my thoughts and take everything in, but I soon become aware of several bodies surrounding me.

Then I was flipped around and I saw six faces, all blurry, looking down at me. Two were leaning close to my right, one close to my left, the others looming in the distance. I could vaguely make them out, but my eyes felt heavy and weak, so I closed them. Every part of me felt weak, for that matter, yet there was nothing I could do.

_Helpless,_ I thought.

"Bella!" That voice. Esme? "Bella, sweetheart, can you hear me?"

"Carlisle, what the hell do we do?" I heard someone ask. Rosalie.

"I don't know," replied Carlisle. "I've never come across a vampire with this gift before."

"I don't fucking believe this," said a distinctly female voice. It had to be Victoria. "That bitch had _this_ as a gift? Shit, Bella, I'm so sorry. I should've known beforehand…damn it!"

I felt a hand on each of my shoulders, while another took my left hand. My chest heaved at the contact because of how warm it felt, in both senses of the word. The warmth made me want to try moving again, to speak, or open my eyes, but I couldn't. I began to drift as unconsciousness took hold of me for a second time, and I swore I heard someone scream my name.

My mind was mostly blank as I drifted in blackness. There were no images or faces, but there was a strong desire to not let the darkness take me. I had too much to fight for: my family and my mate, the most important people in my life. And my daughter. I knew deep down that I wanted to save her and make amends. Lastly, my revenge. I needed to fulfill it.

When I came to, I was lying in a bed, mine, I presumed. The first thing I did was move my fingers, at which point I discovered I was able to finally move and it relieved me. I clenched both my hands and brought them to my face, feeling them to make sure I wasn't in some dream state. Nope. I then opened my eyes and sat upright to make certain. I smiled.

I could feel, smell, move every inch of my body, and, best of all, I remembered what happened: Adira Thorne saved Edward and froze me with her gift. I didn't fail to notice that my throat was moist, the sweet aftertaste of blood on my tongue and filling my mouth, which meant someone had fed me a blood packet while I was unconscious.

But before I could really dwell on the thought, the sound of my door whipping open broke me from my thoughts and a body collided with mine and arms wrapped around me. I knew automatically that it was Alice because I hadn't flown backwards from the force of it, not to mention her chocolaty aroma flowing into my nostrils.

"Thank God," Alice breathed, kissing my face all over. Her angelic blue eyes were red and puffy from the tears she must've been crying for me. "I was so scared, Bella…"

I relaxed and pulled her closer to me as I kissed her forehead. "It's okay, Alice," I whispered, rubbing circles into her back. "I'm fine. Everything is fine."

Alice clutched at the back of my shirt with her hands. "I was with Cynthia and Leah around a campfire when I saw you. I watched you chase after that bastard, beat the shit out of him and then that Thorne girl showed up and froze you in place. Then my vision went black and I freaked out because I thought…I thought you were dead, Bella."

"I thought I was too," I admitted. "But I'm not, and right now, I'm pretty thankful for that fact."

"So am I," Alice said. "Everyone is."

We held each other for a while, neither of us wanting to let go. The thought of losing Alice was a terrifying one, but I didn't have to worry about it anymore since I was—as far as I knew—fine. I eventually leaned back and pulled the covers over us while we cuddled together in silence until I decided it was time to go downstairs to my family.

Alice's body froze in mine suddenly, however, so I waited patiently to see what type of vision she was having. Judging by her facial expressions, it wasn't something bad, but it didn't seem like it was good, either. When she snapped out of it, she pouted and her eyebrows knitted together, forming a cute, yet serious scowl.

"What did you see?" I asked.

"That Thorne boy is coming here," Alice replied. "The one who said he would give us information when he could. Apparently, he's going to explain to us about that bitch who attacked you and give us some info we don't know about."

I narrowed my eyes. "I wonder if he knew they were together."

"Hard to say," Alice replied. "I don't trust him. Not yet, at least."

"How long until he gets here?" I asked.

"Twenty five minutes," Alice replied. "He's moving slowly and stealthily, but no one's watching or following him. His so-called comrades don't seem to even know or care that he's gone. In fact, I did some checking after he revealed his plan to you and they don't even seem to know he's turned on them, which worries me."

"Don't worry about it, Alice," I said, pressing my lips to hers. "By the way, aside from the scare, how was your time at La Push?"

"Good," she replied, smiling at me. "I panicked for a while, but Leah and Cynthia assured me everything would be okay. Then I had a vision of us talking here and I relaxed, even though I had a nightmare about you being killed. Poor Cynthia. She had to hold me all night."

I cooed and cupped her cheeks. "I'm sorry, Ali."

"It's not your fault," she mumbled, nuzzling into the crook of my neck.

"My pride got the best of me," I said. "I should've killed Edward instead of yak, but I didn't expect someone to show up and save him, let alone that Thorne bitch. Had I been paying attention more, I might've caught her scent. The point is, I lost again and Edward got away."

"No, Bella," Alice said. "You didn't lose. You kicked his ass and you made sure he knew you weren't going to let him get to you anymore. That bitch snuck up on you. I saw her, Bella, I saw her waiting in the trees for the right moment to come out and attack. You couldn't smell her because she'd blended in there so well for quite a while."

I frowned. "She was waiting there the entire time? And she didn't jump in to stop me from beating her "mate" senseless? That seems a little…odd."

"Wait, they're _mates_?" Alice asked, her jaw popping open. "I never caught that part…"

"Apparently so," I replied, cringing in disgust at the very thought. "Although I have no idea how anyone would ever want to be Edward's mate. I mean, in all honesty, you'd have to be out of your fucking mind to find him remotely decent. Still…" I bit my lip and sighed. "This solidifies the fact that Edward is with the Thornes. Fuck."

Alice sighed. "I should've seen this coming."

I kissed her forehead in reassurance. "Don't worry about it, Alice. None of us would have seen this coming, even if we'd known beforehand. I mean, Edward…having a _mate_. Who the hell would have ever even thought of that happening?"

Neither of us spoke after that, since the very idea was so perplexing and insane. It angered me too, though, because now Edward had someone who would do whatever he wanted to, another pawn for him to manipulate however he wanted. And if the Thornes were his allies, they were likely in the same boat as Adira was. Edward was a master manipulator, after all.

Even so, what got me the most was my own stupidity. How could I have let it happen? It was my fault. I had been stupid, and it cost me. However, I would keep that thought to myself, because I knew the others would disagree. I knew it to be true, so I vowed to never waste time ever again. If...no, _when_ I got my hands on Edward again, I wouldn't waste time talking down to him. I'd kill him. Simple.

After a few more minutes passed, I released Alice and rolled off my bed. "C'mon, Ali. Sitting here isn't going to help and I know the others are probably going to want to know what happened to me unless you already told them." She shook her head and I chuckled. "This should be an interesting conversation. Shall we?"

Alice nodded and we laced our hands together before heading downstairs. Everyone was busy talking in the family room when we walked down, although it stopped once we entered the room and Esme immediately collided with me to pull me into a powerful hug. I let go of Alice's hand and hugged her back, melting into her loving embrace for a while.

"Thank God," Esme breathed when she finally pulled away, though not before kissing my cheeks and forehead and cupping my face. Her eyes blazed with love and relief and I kissed her cheek in return, knowing that Esme would have been crying like Alice if she were able to. "We're all relieved that you're still with us, Bella. How do you feel?"

"Fine," I replied. "A little angry at what happened, but otherwise, I'm okay. How long was I unconscious for? I don't remember much after being frozen…"

"You were unconscious for two days," Carlisle informed me. He came over to hug me as well and I gave him the same love I did Esme. While Carlisle wasn't as physically affectionate the way Esme was, he was on the exact same emotional scale. "I am in agreement with Esme, though." He kissed my forehead. "I'm merely thankful you're alright."

"We all are," Rosalie stated, standing to come and hug me next.

One by one, I was embraced and kissed by my siblings, Rosalie kissing me on the lips, the others on the cheek or the forehead. Even Cynthia got up to hug me. It touched me to feel the love my family had for me and I knew in my heart that they were the main reason—along with Alice—that I refused to let myself die because of a little ice.

When the tender moment ended, everyone sat down, me next to Alice, who snuggled up to me from the side, and Rosalie, who wrapped her arm around my shoulders, which I smiled at. The room fell silent, however, and things became tense. I knew the others wanted to know what happened to me, but no one wanted to brush upon the topic. Then I realized something.

Jane and Riley were missing.

"Where are Jane and Riley?" I asked, suddenly worrying. I wanted to jump up to go to their room, but Rosalie held me in place while Jasper sent me a calm wave. "What happened?"

"Jane and Riley are fine," Rosalie replied. "They have Alec. They're currently in the woods talking with him, though Jane made sure that I send you their love. They'll be back in a while, I'm sure, but right now, Jane wants to get to the bottom of her brother's situation."

I relaxed at that. "Alec is probably pissed at me."

"Why would he be pissed?" Emmett asked.

"I sent him in their direction when I ran into him," I admitted with a shrug.

Victoria chuckled. "That was rather crafty of you, Bella. You could tell he was shocked to hear that his sister was alive, though, so I wonder how their little chat is going."

"Oh, that reminds me," I said. "Alice had a vision of Dante coming here, Tori."

Victoria narrowed her eyes. "Really, now? What the fuck does he want?"

"To talk with us about Adira," Alice answered. "And something else, I think."

Rosalie growled quietly at the name. "That little bitch is going to suffer for what she did."

"Definitely," Victoria agreed.

"Can we trust this Dante fellow?" Jasper asked.

"I don't know," Victoria admitted. "Dante's always been the quietest out of the Thornes and the one I spoke with the least. In the past, I've seen the same coldness they have in him, but there's always been something…different about him. It's like he didn't belong with the group. I'm not sure if he can be trusted, though. He may be trying to manipulate us on their behalf."

"We'll find out fairly quickly," Alice said. "He's here."

Carlisle and Esme took that as their cue to stand and go to the door. A few seconds later, they returned to the room with Dante behind them, the dark-haired vampire keeping his hands in his pockets as he stood in the entryway of the family room, appraising us quietly.

This was the first time I'd ever bothered to take in his full physical appearance. In terms of physical build, Dante was fairly short for a guy; he had to be no taller than 5'9, if that, and he certainly didn't look imposing the way Emmett did. His scruffy black hair fell over his head in a small mane of messy spikes, similar to, but not the same, as Alice's hair, only longer.

He had an angular chin, thin, manicured eyebrows, a narrow nose and rounded eyes that seemed to have what looked like faint eyeliner around them. His attire was all black and, combined with the rest of his look; he had a gothic vibe about him. Perhaps what stood out the most was the iron intensity in his eyes. They made up for his lack of muscle and stature.

At last, Dante's eyes fell on me and he spoke. "It seems you had a run in with Adira, yes?"

"How'd you guess?" I deadpanned. "I'm guessing she was gloating about it?"

"Oh yes," Dante replied. "Her boasts grew annoying after the first hour, truth be told, but there's little one can do to shut her up. That woman is full of bravado, so in a way, I'm actually quite thankful to be away from listening to her and the others. And the mind reader, Edward, isn't much better. He's still recovering from the beat down you gave him, yet he still prattles on."

"About what?" I asked. "How I lost in the end? How he got away? That he's still better than I am despite the thrashing I gave him? He really is an idiot and so am I for letting him get away like that. I was gloating, too. I should have known better."

"Bella," Alice said. "Don't-"

"It's fine, Alice," I said quietly, waving it off. "Just me venting." _Though if I could kick myself, I would..._

"All of the above," Dante replied. "However, one can easily tell that he's been knocked off his high horse, and while he tries to cover it up, he's losing his edge. What you did to him did a massive amount of damage to his ego. It's rather amusing, really."

"Why are you here, Dante?" Victoria asked, standing. "It'd better be to apologize for not fucking tell us that the bitch could do that. I knew she went on about having a gift, but I never once saw it until a few days ago, but I swear, if you withheld that intentionally…"

Dante held his hands up. "I'm not here to fight you, Victoria, nor do I aim to cause any trouble. I do apologize for not forewarning you of Adira's gift when we last spoke, but I didn't know you would be fighting her, let alone that she and Edward were mates. She was strangely quiet about the fact, something that's fairly unusual for her given her usual mannerisms."

"He's being truthful," Jasper replied. "I can sense it."

"Yes," Dante said. "I have no reason to lie, nor any interest in it. Would you sincerely think I would come here of my own free will to speak with you if I intended to lie?"

"Maybe," Victoria growled, begrudgingly sitting.

"Why did you come to visit us?" Carlisle asked, repeating the previous question.

"To fill you in on what I know," Dante replied. "As of now, it seems the Thornes have taken a very large interest in your coven, particularly you." He gestured to Alice. "Edward informed us of your ability to see the future, and both Nikala and Asher are intrigued by the prospect of adding a seer into our coven. Not everyone agrees, but it's difficult to dissuade them."

I growled at this. "So what, they're going to try taking Alice?"

"Possibly," Dante admitted with a shrug. "I can't say for certain, since they haven't said much of the subject, but I know your family is on their list. Apparently, the fact that you humiliated Edward in the fashion you did has cemented you as enemies to them and they wish to…erase you, as it were, from existence. When and how, they have not said."

"So what, you basically tell us all this crap, but it's nothing all that helpful?" Emmett asked.

"We need answers, not more questions," Esme said. "Why does our family interest them so much? What would they do to obtain Alice? How far would they go because we protected one another when they tried to invade our privacy?" She paused for a moment. "The only thing I can say for certain is that bastard got what he deserved."

"True enough," Dante said. "I'm sorry. I would give you facts, but Asher and Nikala have never been good at disclosing information to us until the last second. Victoria, you of all people should be aware of this given our past together with them yes?"

Victoria pursed her lips. "I suppose that's true enough."

"Tell me, Victoria, do you know how Adira came into the Thorne coven?" Dante asked.

"No," Victoria replied, furrowing her brow. "What the hell does that have to do with anything?"

"She was the newest addition to the coven before you," Dante said. "She seemed to appear from out of nowhere one day while we were in Europe and openly asked to join us. I found it odd and completely unconventional, but Nikala and Asher were fine with it. They acted like it was normal for a vampire to randomly ask to join up with them. I later learned the truth.

"You see, Nikala and Asher are far older then they claim to be. Asher is actually seven hundred years old, Nikala seven hundred and forty two. And Adira? She's Nikala's daughter. She was born while Nikala was still human, four years before she was turned by none other than Queen Sulpicia, the mate of Aro of the Volturi. Do you know why that is?"

"Why?" Cynthia asked.

Dante smiled. "Nikala is a distant relative of Sulpicia's. You could say that Nikala is the great-great-great granddaughter of the Queen, but no one in the royal family knows this. Do you see what I'm getting at, now? The Thornes' ultimate goal is to overthrow the Volturi, and because of Nikala's birthright, she is heir to the Volturi throne."

The room was silent. No one spoke for five solid minutes, as the knowledge Dante had just given us, if true, was tremendous. Everyone knew that the one law the royals bothered to keep honored was the law that none were allowed to turn any of their descendants if they had any. If they had family, they were supposed to send them away or kill them, anything to avoid contact.

And yet, Sulpicia, the head Queen, had disobeyed this law for some reason. She turned Nikala, a direct descendant of her offspring, which put her rule and life in jeopardy. If she and Aro were to die, Nikala would become the rightful heir to the throne rather than Caius, Athenodora, Marcus or Didyme being viable for it. If she was ignored, it would cause a massive revolt.

"Damn," Emmett said, breaking the silence. "She fucked up big time."

"That's putting it mildly," Jasper replied, shaking his head in bewilderment. "How is it that Aro hasn't found out about this? With his gift…"

"Aro was in on it as well," Dante replied. "He and Sulpicia agreed on the transformation for some reason, but I do not know what that reason was. Regardless, they know their actions would damn them if word were to get out, so they forcibly stripped Nikala of her name and banned her from Volterra. As such, all vampires loyal to the Volturi know her and her coven as disgraces."

"What does this have to do with us, though?" I asked.

"Your coven is the one coven the Volturi fear the most," Dante said. "Your size and strength outmatches even the average coven, and your alliance with the coven in Alaska with the Fire Child makes you even more of a threat. Aro and Sulpicia fear you. The Volturi guard fear your name and yearn to wipe you out, yet they can't. The Thornes, however, can."

Now it made sense to me. "So they aim to kill us off to get in good with the Volturi, then kill Aro and Sulpicia so Nikala and Asher can take over as the rulers of all vampires."

"Precisely," Dante replied.

"Dude," Emmett said. "That's insane."

"And brilliant," Rosalie said. "I hate admitting it, but that's a foolproof plan. With Edward on their side, they'll know what to say and do to keep the Volturi from suspecting them as enemies, and it gives them the advantage they need to get in our heads as well."

"Fuck!" Victoria cursed. "All this time…how did I not know this either?!"

"It's not your fault," Dante said. "I discovered this information over a course of years through careful observations, using my gift to listen in to what was being said and picking apart at Adira's words when I had the chance. She's cunning and intelligent, but her arrogance is her biggest flaw, as she has a tendency to blab out details she shouldn't."

"Why tell us this information?" Carlisle asked. "Why not tell the Volturi?"

Dante scoffed. "Where's the entertainment in telling them anything? Besides, they'd kill me as an accessory or make up some excuse to force me into their ranks. I have no love for the Volturi, but I would rather kill myself then live in a world where Nikala and Asher rule. And, believe it or not, if any coven can wipe them out, it would be yours. Be careful, however.

"I've learned that Asher and Nikala have numerous allies spread across the land, and I am aware that they intend to add new members to their coven as well. They intend to build an army, slowly of course, until they have the means to take over the Volturi. Luckily for all of us, that won't be happening any time soon. Still, I felt the need to let you know."

"You do realize you're putting yourself in danger," I said. "Edward will know you told us."

Dante chuckled. "Actually, I have confidence he won't find out. I know how to keep my thoughts disorganized around him. I taught myself fairly quickly when I first met him. If he were to somehow figure it out, I'm more than capable of escaping. I've outsmarted Asher and Nikala before, even though they claim to be the most intelligent vampires in the world."

"There's one thing that doesn't surprise me," Victoria grumbled.

"Indeed," Dante said. "Be that as it may, I should be going. I can't dally too long, if only because I have been assigned a duty by Nikala that I must begrudgingly fulfill. Be well, Cullens. I doubt we'll be speaking again for some time, but if anything pops up and I get the chance, I'll be certain to inform you. If not, presume I am dead and keep your guards up."

He turned and left without another word, leaving us silent once again. It took a while for me to absorb everything Dante had revealed, but the overall premise was terrifying. The Thorne coven wanted control, we were their stepping stone and Edward, that smug son of a bitch, would likely use this in his favor. I shuddered to think about what would become of my poor daughter.

"What does this mean for us?" Alice asked. It was the first time she'd spoken since Dante first arrived and I could only begin to think what was going through her and Cynthia's minds.

"I don't know," I murmured, pressing my lips to hers. "But I'll protect you, Alice."

Alice frowned. "I want to be able to protect you, too."

"If it comes to that, then we'll turn you," I said. "I promise."

I didn't want to turn Alice before she could finish enjoying her human life, but I would if it meant protecting her and giving her the strength she needed and wanted. However, none of us wanted to really dwell on something that wasn't going to happen for a while, and within a half an hour, the room was free of tension—thanks in part to Jasper.

Carlisle and Esme departed from the room after kissing all of us, Cynthia and Alice included, on the forehead, and headed upstairs to their study. As the leaders of the family, I knew they would be having a very thorough discussion over what to do about the news Dante had given us.

"Jasper, was he telling the truth?" Cynthia asked.

"From what I could sense, yes," Jasper replied. "Usually when someone lies, their emotions betray them somehow, such as hints of guilt or shame. Other times, it's more difficult to tell, but with my gift, if I feel even the faintest flicker of uncertainty, I know that person is lying. Dante didn't give off any of the usual emotions for that. He was being genuine."

"As far as you know," Victoria remarked.

"I don't see why anyone would make that shit up," Emmett said as he turned on the TV.

"That's not something a normal vampire could make up," Rosalie agreed. "That doesn't mean I trust him, because I don't. He has to prove himself worthy of my trust first."

"That's easier said than done," I chuckled, though it was forced. I didn't like thinking about all this Volturi mess, and yet, it relieved me to know what to expect in the future.

"When are Jane and Riley gonna get here?" Emmett asked. "They're missing everything."

I turned to Alice, who tilted her head to one side for a brief moment. "Now," she said.

And just like that, the front door opened and Jane and Riley walked in, Alec following behind them, though he kept his head ducked down to stare at the floor. Jane and Riley had blank expressions on their faces, which I knew meant something bad had happened; otherwise I'd be able to better read their eyes, since neither of them were ever this emotionless.

_Great,_ I groaned. _Now what?_

"It's about time you two joined us," Rosalie remarked. "You've missed quite a bit."

"So we heard," Riley replied, looking to me.

Jane silently came to sit on my lap and hug me and I gladly hugged her back, thankful whatever the problem was wasn't dire enough to prevent her from showing affection. Riley came and leaned down to hug me as well after Jane pulled away too.

"What's wrong, guys?" I asked.

"Nothing," Jane replied. "I'm just…" She gestured to Alec, who was standing in the entryway just as Dante had been before him, only he looked more forlorn. "I'm so glad that you're okay and I'm beyond happy to have my brother back, but…"

"I can't stay long, Jane," Alec said quietly. "I'm sorry."

"Why?" she asked. "Why can't you just live with us?"

"Because they would come after me," Alec replied. "They would find out about your humans, too, and then all hell would break loose. I'm sorry, sister, but I must cut our reunion short."

"I told you before, Alec, there's a way for you to leave them," I said.

Alec frowned at me. "You also told me the direction to go in would avoid my sister."

I gave him a tiny smile. "Sorry, but you needed to meet her."

Alec grumbled. "I still need to leave soon. I don't know if they'll let me leave, either."

"Try," Jane said. "For me."

"Jane, please…" Alec said, pain in his eyes.

"Don't give me that bullshit!" she snapped. "I haven't seen you in years, damn it! I thought you were dead! Do you know what that's been like? To lose my brother when I was a human, the brother I loved and played with? Of course you do! You felt the same thing for me!"

"I…yes…but…" Alec hung his head in despair. "I'm afraid, Jane. I don't want to leave them and then have them come after your family because of it."

"They won't," Rosalie said with a snort. "There's already a coven planning to do that."

"Wait, what?" Riley asked. "What do you mean?"

"Why don't you guys sit down?" I offered. "We'll explain everything to you, but I want something in return." I looked to Alec. "I want to know how you survived that fire and ended up in the Volturi's clutches. Tell us that much, and then you can leave."

Alec frowned and Jane looked like she was about to protest, but Riley cut her off. "That's a fair deal, I think," he said, glancing to Alec. "What do you say?"

Alec hesitated for a brief moment before conceding. "Fine, then."

**A/N: And there we have the next chapter. A note for all, this chapter was pre-written quite some time ago. I did add a few short blips here and there in right before posting, but otherwise, it's how I wrote it. Also, going off of the comment I made above about doing better, my "doing better" won't show up till around chapter fifty four or five. The reason is this: I stopped writing at fifty four in order to focus on starting my novel. When I finish, I will get back to it and finish Broken Aurora up from that point until it's done. **

**This is the moment where I am going on official hiatus for those of you who wish to know. I will post chapters fifty two and three at some point in time, the former some time next week, the latter the week after. I want to give you something to read while I continue to work on my book, which is near the end, but not quite there yet. Once I'm done, I will get back to work, though.**

**Until next time, everybody. Peace.**


	52. Bound

**Disclaimer: Twilight does not belong to me. My characters and ideas do.**

**Note: This chapter has not been beta-ed. However, thanks to Paige Turner for looking it over.**

**Bound**

"First, tell us what happened," Jane said, sitting down with Riley across from Alice and I. "I want to know how the hell you ended up frozen in a big block of ice, Bella."

"I was blindsided by one of the Thornes after I stupidly took my time in finishing that bastard off," I replied, shaking my head. "Adira. She popped up when I was able to finish Edward off, revealed that she was his mate, then froze me with her gift. Apparently there are vampires who can create and manipulate ice, something new I learned after the fact."

"We all did," Victoria muttered.

"Did the training pay off?" Riley asked.

"Yes," I replied. "I mean, at first I thought it was going to be hard, but…for some reason, I was completely calm when I was there with Edward when I ran into Alec. Then I got angry, but I managed to turn it against him before he ran away. When I caught up to him I was calm, then I exploded. I let lose every ounce of anger and hate in my being."

"Which left him a lump of yuck," Alice said. "It was badass to watch."

"So this bitch froze you and they got away?" Jane asked. "That fucking blows."

"You're telling me," I agreed. "It's my fault, though. I was too cocky over the fact that I'd kicked his ass and I delayed finishing him. I should have killed his ass and been done with it."

"Bella, stop it," Rosalie said. "None of us knew about her gift."

"There's another scent in here," Riley said, sniffing the air. "I just now noticed. Who is that?"

"Dante Thorne," Victoria replied. "He came to give us some information about the Thornes that none of us knew about. Apparently, Nikala is a descendant of Sulpicia's that she turned, which goes against their precious law. Aro knows it, too, so they had her banished. Now Nikala is aiming to overthrow the Volturi and become the ruler alongside Asher."

"They're going to wipe us out because they know the Volturi fear us," Jasper added. "By killing us, it will make them out to be allies to the Volturi, trust they'll use to their advantage to get closer to them, then kill Aro and Sulpicia. It's sad because no matter how you look at it, we're on everyone's enemy list but our own."

"I see," Riley replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "That is…surprising."

"Those fuckers!" Jane hissed. "They break their own goddamn rules and it's no big deal, but if someone else breaks one that's minor and stupid, they go batshit crazy! What the fuck?!"

"What do you expect?" Rosalie asked. "They're fucking royals, Jane. They think they're better than everyone else and that they're above their own damned laws. It doesn't matter. We know what the Thornes plan to do, so we're going to make sure they don't do it. I couldn't give two shits about the Volturi, but I won't stand by and let this family becoming a stepping stone."

"Damn straight!" Emmett boomed. "We'll kick all their black-cloaked asses!" He glanced at Alec, who was staring down at the ground. "Uh, except yours."

"Emmett, she meant the Thornes," I said.

Emmett shrugged. "Well, what if the Volturi try to kill us after?"

"That wouldn't be surprise me in the least bit," Victoria said with a snort. "They've probably realized by now that we're never going to join them, so obviously, they'll try and wipe us out eventually because they're so damned paranoid."

"See?" Emmett said. "If it's a fight they want, then it's a fight they'll get."

I said nothing as I looked to Alice, who was listening intently to the conversation, then to Cynthia, was also listening, though it was clear she was thinking about multiple things at once. I felt bad for Cynthia; she was the odd one out in the group since she wasn't mated to a vampire, so she had no real attachment aside from being Alice's sister.

_I have to do something to make it up to her,_ I thought. _Maybe I'll take her, Alice and Rosalie shopping or something to cheer her up. Anything, really._

Then there was Alec. Alec looked like he wanted to go, yet at the same time, he wanted to stay and be with his sister. He was troubled, that much was obvious by the look in his dark red eyes, at which point I quickly realized that Alec fed from humans and there were two humans sitting right next to him. I mentally smacked myself for not realizing it beforehand.

"Alice, Cynthia," I said. "I hate to do this to the two of you, but would you mind excusing us for a little while?" They both looked at me confusedly and I sighed. "Girls, Alec is a human drinker and your presence is probably unnerving him a little bit. And if he even looks at you wrong, my vampire instincts are going to kick in and…it won't be pretty."

"Oh," Alice said, biting her lip.

Alec looked up at last and held his hands up. "I have good control," he said. "I fed before I came down here to Forks, in fact. Trust me; your humans are no danger with me."

"You don't have to feed on humans if you live with us, Alec," Jane said quietly.

Guilt flashed in Alec's eyes and I sighed. "Ali, Cynth, give us a few minutes still?"

Cynthia nodded. "Sure thing."

She took Alice's hand and the two headed upstairs to their room, much to my relief. Even with the fact that Alec was Jane's brother, I didn't trust him or whatever the Volturi did to him. I wasn't about to put the safety of my mate and her sister in his hands, either. Besides, I had a funny feeling Jane was holding back for their sake. She wouldn't normally be this cold.

"Thank you, Bella," Jane said, giving me a brief smile before she jumped up and reeled on her brother. "What the fuck is wrong with you, Alexander?! I haven't seen you in God knows how long and you don't even act like you're happy to see me! What gives? Do you not love me? Did I waste half my life trying to find my twin brother for nothing?"

Alec finally lost his composure. "Damn it, Jane, don't you think I know that?! I tried to do the same thing for you, but I couldn't! I was forced to accept the reality that you were dead and moved on with my life because I had to! This whole time, I believed you were gone and I've been miserable, then out of the blue I run into you, so forgive me if I try to soak this in!"

The two glared at each other as tension grew in the room until Jasper had to step in and try to calm things down. It helped relax Alec and Jane, but neither of them dropped their glares of anger and frustration. No one said anything, which only made things twice as awkward.

"What happened to you, Alec?" I asked, breaking the silence after a few minutes.

Alec didn't break his gaze from his sister. "I was manipulated and lied to," he replied.

"I gathered that much," I said. "Why don't you give us the full explanation of how you ended up in the Volturi's clutches? Help Jane understand why you couldn't look for her."

"I tried to explain that to her already," Alec replied, still not looking away. "But my stubborn sibling won't listen to what I have to say or acknowledge it."

"Because it's a stinking excuse!" Jane hissed.

"Jane," Riley said, urging her to sit back down. "Please, give him a chance."

"Wouldn't you want the same if you were in his position?" Jasper asked.

Jane grimaced. "I…yeah, I guess."

She finally sat down and snuggled into Riley's arms, all eyes falling onto Alec as he looked down at the floor in thought, the gears turning in his head as he struggled over how to go about telling us about his past—or so I assumed. After another few minutes, he closed his eyes, muttered something under his breath, then reopened them.

"That day, when the fire began, I was staring out the window, lost in thought," Alec said without meeting anyone's gaze. "I smelled the smoke shortly after it started and realized there was a fire, and when I saw uncle and aunt fleeing, I assumed Jane was with them and ran out of the house, not even thinking she was still inside until it was too late.

"You see, I noticed fairly quickly that Jane wasn't with them because they drove off without me, and, knowing Jane wouldn't have allowed that to happen, the only alternative was that she was still inside. I attempted to run back in to rescue her, but I couldn't because the entryway was blocked off by fire and debris. I tried calling her name. Nothing.

"Fear clutched at my insides and I panicked, not knowing if she'd gotten out or if I'd doomed my sister to her death by stupidly forgetting about her. Without much choice, I did the next best thing; I ran to town to get the fire department to put the blaze out in hopes of rescuing her. My attempt, clearly, didn't work out very well because of…what happened next."

"The Volturi showed up," Jane said. "Right?"

"Yes," Alec replied. "While I was running for help, someone in a black cloak appeared in front of me, with red eyes and a hungry looking grin. It was a beautiful girl with long blonde hair that seemed to lure me towards her despite how petrified I was when I saw her eyes. At first, she openly said she was going to kill me, but something changed her mind.

"Instead, told me that, because she thought I was handsome and had a good feeling about me, she was going to spare me for a price, then she knocked me out. When I came to, I was in an abandoned shack of some kind where I met several other red-eyed people. A few wanted to feast on me for dinner, but the girl stopped them and, without a word, bit me. It turned me, of course.

"When I came to as a vampire, she introduced herself as Chelsea, then gave names to the others with her. After presenting me with two humans that I killed without batting an eye, she told me what I was, who they were and said that she wanted to see if I had a gift. As you can imagine, for someone who was suddenly sucked into the immortal world, I knew nothing of what she meant.

"I found out fairly quickly; she intended to beat me until I displayed some type of gift within three days. If I failed, she would kill me. I had no other options. Since I'd never fought before, the first two days were murder. She sent the other Volturi guards away and beat me within an inch of my newly immortalized life numerous times. Ripping off limbs, biting, starving…

"By the third day, I was exhausted in every sense of the word. My throat was burning from thirst, my body was weak and Chelsea was losing interest in me quickly. I thought I was going to die that day, but it brought me peace because I thought Jane was dead and at the very least, I'd be reunited with my sister. Apparently, those emotions drew out my gift."

"What's your gift?" Riley asked.

"I have the ability to release a black mist from my body that, when someone is enveloped in it, it strips away their senses," Alec replied. "They cannot see, hear or smell, the three most valuable senses a vampire can possess. I learned this when I created the mist that swirled around Chelsea and I remember her freezing in place and freaking out.

"The mist dissipated shortly after and, when Chelsea realized she was still around, she smiled and delivered two more humans for me to feed on. And wouldn't you know it? It was our aunt and uncle of all people. I struggled, mostly because I didn't want to kill them without asking about Jane. They said they didn't know what happened to her. I believed them."

"Then you killed them," Jane said. She had pulled away from Riley's body to face her brother now, a glint in her eyes. "Good. I hated them anyways. Lousy stinking family they were."

Alec shrugged. "Maybe so, but they were the only real family we ever had, Jane. I tried my best not to kill them, truthfully, but Chelsea wouldn't allow it and…you can guess what happened after she made them bleed. At the very least, she allowed me to bury their bodies and have a brief goodbye to them. I owed them that much for taking us in.

"Afterwards, Chelsea and the others forced me to come with me. Chelsea used her gift, which I'm certain you're all aware of by now, to bind my will to her and thus, I was forced to go to Italy, where I was introduced to the Kings and Queens of the Volturi. They were…pleased to have a new tool at their disposal, especially King Caius and Queen Athenodora."

"That's not surprising," Jasper said. "They're love of cruelty is well known by practically anyone who meets them. With a gift like yours, there's plenty of room for what they enjoy most."

"Wait, I'm confused," Emmett said. "Your gift sounds more merciful than cruel."

"Think about it, Em," Riley stated. "If you couldn't smell, hear or see, and you were unable to move or fight back somehow, you would be anticipating the end, yes? What's crueler then making a person wait for their death, to really draw out the inevitable?"

"Oh," Emmett replied, nodding. "That's pretty damn harsh, man."

"Indeed," Alec agreed. "They felt so as well, so King Aro and Queen Sulpicia had me bound to the Volturi using Chelsea's gift. I never had a choice in the matter, and nothing I said was of importance to anybody at all. I became a pawn that day and I've been one ever since. Even now, as I sit here, I am eternally bound to the Volturi, and to Chelsea.

"These past years have been…difficult. Having to kill innocent people to survive, being forced to slaughter both humans vampires for no purpose other than fun or because they committed a heinous crime that was actually nothing more than not wanting to serve the Volturi. I've never once enjoyed anything I did unless I was given free time. Even then, I was limited.

"The Kings and Queens keep a close eye on their precious 'gems' as they call us. Being one of the most valuable, I was catered to rather frequently. I was given women to use however I wanted, books to read to increase my knowledge, internet, games…those things never mattered to me, though. I just wanted to find my sister and be freed, neither of which were happening."

"That's low," I growled. "They didn't even bother trying to help you search for Jane?"

Alec shook his head. "I was told she was likely dead and that I needed to get over it. There wasn't a whole lot I can do, since any vampire who tried to flee Volterra was tortured and, sometimes, killed. Had I tried, I would've been tortured, but I know I would have been spared since I'm considered one of the 'favorites' of the guard.

"Jane, I know how hard it must've been for you. But think of it this way: you've had this coven to support you and help you in your quest and you were allowed to do whatever you wished without consequence. I was forced into this life against my will. This is the first time I've ever set foot out of Italy in well over twenty years, in fact."

Jane looked like she was about ready to burst into tears. "Alec…I…I'm so sorry…"

She flung herself at her slightly taller brother and he hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry too," he croaked about, and I knew they'd be balling if they could. "I've missed you, demoness."

Jane chuckled. "I missed you too, demon boy."

It was clear that the brother and sister needed some private time, so I stood and quietly excused myself from the room, the others, Riley included, following suit. I shared a look with Rosalie as we made our way upstairs and we decided to have a chat later, but for now, I entered my room to listen to music until Alice came in to visit me, which wasn't long.

She slipped into my room about five minutes later, rubbing her semi-moist eyes as she came to sit with me on the bed. I pulled her to my arms and we laid together, Alice taking the ear bud in my right ear and slipping it into hers so we could listen to the same song.

After that song, as well as the next three, ended, I turned my iPod off, set it aside and rolled onto my side so Alice and I were facing each other. She looked sad, so I began to stroke her cheek.

"I would die if that ever happened to Cynthia," Alice murmured at last. "Just the thought of something happening to her…it terrifies me."

"Nothing's going to happen to her, Alice," I said.

"I know," Alice replied. "Still, my mind has a bad habit of wandering when I don't want the damned thing to. After I caught a glimpse of what was going on…I started bawling and Cynthia had to hold me for at least ten minutes." She gave me a tiny smile. "I'm sorry I listened in on what he was talking about. My visions are nosy."

I chuckled. "It's alright, Alice. You would've been there to listen regardless, but I didn't trust Alec being in the same room as you since he's a human feeder."

"Those Volturi are real assholes," Alice said. "I can't believe they would ever take away another person's free will like that just because they had a unique gift. They'd do that with me, wouldn't they? And Cynthia, and you…Jasper, Victoria, Jane…"

"They've tried to persuade us to join them a ton of times," I admitted. "Even before I knew I had a gift, they wanted me for my speed, Rose and Em for their strength, Riley for his wits, Jazz and Victoria for their gifts and fighting abilities…the only reason they didn't have Chelsea bind us to them was thanks to Marcus and Didyme. They spared us that fate."

"Why?" Alice asked.

"Because they're the only ones with a conscience," I replied in a low growl. "They convinced Aro and the others to let us be, which worked partially because of the influence they hold and partially because Carlisle and Esme were part of the Volturi for several years long ago. That counts to some mild degree, apparently. I'm thankful for it."

"Why do they do it?" Alice asked. "Power?"

I shrugged. "I can't really say, I'm fortunate to have never gotten the chance to really know the Kings and Queens very well. From what I've seen and been told, it's mostly power and a desire to be dominant. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that, as vampires, we don't really have a body of law the way you humans do. The Volturi seek to correct that."

Alice frowned. "They want to be the law of vampires, yet they're corrupt, egomaniacal monsters who bend others to their will, break their own laws and treat humans as food and nothing more?"

"Pretty much," I replied. "Great people, aren't they?"

"I don't get it," Alice said. "Can no one stop them?"

"It wouldn't be that easy, Ali," I said. "The Volturi are massive. The Kings and Queens each have at least six body guards each, combined with the different sects of guards…we're talking an army of vampires with years and years of combat experience in them. Not even Jasper and Victoria, with their prowess combined, would last long against those odds."

"That stinks," Alice huffed.

"It does," I agreed. "If not for Chelsea, though, there wouldn't be a Volturi."

Alice lifted an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Chelsea holds the Volturi together," I said. "Her gift is what keeps everyone loyal to one another, since without it, most of the Volturi guard would probably either leave to live their own lives or try to kill each other. That's the beauty of her gift, I suppose you could say; she can make enemies best friends and best friends into mortal enemies."

"Sounds like a female version of Edward," Alice grumbled.

"She is, only worse," I said. "She delights in causing chaos and tormenting the most innocent of vampires with her gift, and I know if she could, she would destroy this family. Luckily, our abstaining from human blood gives us an advantage."

"How so?" Alice asked.

"It's…changed us, in a way," I said, trying to think of a good way to explain. "If we were human drinkers, there's a good chance we would still be a coven, but our drinking of animal blood has altered our nature to a degree. We're not as wild and unruly as regular vampires. We can think clearer and make decisive actions. It's…given us an evolved conscience, I guess."

Alice nodded slowly, soaking in my words. "So if Cynthia and I were turned and we drank human blood, we wouldn't be able to become as close as the rest of you? And we wouldn't care as much about what we do? Is that about it?"

"More or less," I said. "Sorry, Alice. I'm not the best at explaining all this technical crap; this is more up Riley or Carlisle's alley than mine."

"Alec seems to have a conscience for someone who drinks human blood," Alice remarked.

"That's true, but Alec wasn't a violent person when he was turned," I said. "Think of it this way, Ali; neither Carlisle nor Esme were violent or cruel when they were turned, they were always gentle, loving people. Carlisle was able to abstain from killing humans because of his willpower, but it was extremely difficult for him. Esme wasn't as lucky, yet she kept trying.

"The same can be said for the rest of us. I was always docile as a human, the only thing that changed that was Edward, which is why I'm hellbent on killing him. For Rosalie, she was the same, but her past left her bloody and beaten before she was turned, so she too wanted revenge that she got the most brutal way possible. Cruelty altered who we were when we turned."

"What about the others?" Alice asked.

"Emmett was a country boy who always acted like a big brother to his siblings, Victoria had to live on the streets and struggled to survive, but never killed anyone, Jane lived fairly normally, and while Jasper and Riley were soldiers, Jasper was always compassionate and Riley never actually fought anyone," I replied. "It has a lot to do with who you are as a person."

"So if Cynthia and I were turned, we'd still struggle with the bloodlust parts, but we wouldn't be cold hearted and monstrous because we're good people now," Alice said. "On the other hand, if someone were to turn, say, Jessica Stanley, she would probably abuse her power for her own selfishness because she's not a naturally friendly person. Right?"

"Exactly," I said, pressing my lips to hers. "Now, let's put that aside…I'd much rather be kissing you then thinking about things that we'll be going over in the future."

Alice smirked. "Funny, I was about to do this anyways."

She latched her mouth onto mine and pushed me back onto the bed as she crawled on top of me, smiling against my lips as I wrapped my arms around her to hold her close. Alice and I made out for quite a while, taking breaks in between so Alice could catch her breath, but not once pulling away from one another's arms. It definitely helped both our moods.

Alice eventually started kissing all around my face, including my nose—which we both giggled at—and my forehead. She started to go to my left ear and nibble at it when we heard a knock on my door and Alice begrudgingly stopped what she was doing.

"It's Jane," she said, otherwise not moving.

"Come in," I said, Jane entering shortly after. "What's up, Midge?"

Jane scowled at her nickname—the one given to her by Kate and Amara—as she closed the door and walked over to my bed, mindful of Alice's presence, though her focus seemed to be solely on me. She climbed onto my bed and came to lie next to me and I smiled as I extended my arm out to wrap around her, Alice moving to my other side.

Jane rested her head under my neck. "This whole day has been Hell."

I kissed her forehead. "I know, Janie. How are things with Alec?"

"Awkward as fuck," Jane replied. "I don't know what to do, Bella. I want him to stay with us and join our family, but the stinking Volturi aren't going to let him do that. We both know how they are with their 'gems', and if Alec did join us…"

"He'd have to adjust to living with humans," I replied. "I'm sure Alec would choose our vegetarian diet since he doesn't enjoy killing, so that wouldn't be a problem. The only real downside is the fact that the massive target we have on our backs would grow even bigger in size. At the same time, we can't abandon him. He's your brother, which makes him family."

Jane offered me a small smile. "Is it weird that, even though I still love Alec and see him as a brother, I'm much closer to you and the others?"

"You've been with us much longer," I said. "I'm sure if Alec joined us, you'd get closer."

"Getting him to join us is the hard part," Jane said.

I pursed my lips in thought. "I don't know what to tell you, Jane."

No one else said anything after that. I wracked my brain for ideas on how to get Alec away from the Volturi, but it wasn't easy. Even though Marcus and Didyme were kind and still loyal to their friendship with Esme and Carlisle, their words wouldn't be enough to persuade Aro and Sulpicia to let Alec openly leave. They'd make up an excuse of some kind, or lie.

_Unless we can somehow get those two jackasses to relent,_ I thought. _Like that would ever happen, what could we possible do…to…_

It hit me like a freight train; there was a way to get Aro and Sulpicia to agree to letting Alec go, even though the idea was insane and extremely risky: we could threaten to blackmail them about their turning Nikala. If Caius and Athenodora found out, they'd be furious and call Aro and Sulpicia traitors. Didyme and Marcus would turn against them too.

Not only that, but the Volturi guard would feel wronged and betrayed by their masters, because even the most loyal guards knew better than to break such an important law. Sulpicia and Aro would be shamed, stripped of their rank, maybe even killed or driven out. They would lose everything they gained, including Chelsea's trust.

No Chelsea meant her gift would no longer work for their favor, meaning no vampires would feel bound to them. They'd be royally fucked after that, fair game for any coven that wanted to wipe them off the face of the planet and gain power for it, even us.

The biggest problem with the idea was the risk factor; Sulpicia and Aro were already massively paranoid, if they knew we were aware of their screw up, they might openly take us out, regardless of how the other Kings and Queens felt. Then again, doing that would backfire on them as well. Didyme and Marcus wouldn't stand for it. So maybe…

"Bella, you're brilliant," Alice breathed, kissing me. "That's a wonderful idea!"

"What is?" Jane asked, confused.

I smiled at Alice, then turned to my sister. "Alec could blackmail Sulpicia and Aro into letting him the leave the Volturi by threatening to expose what they did to the others. If the other Volturi members found out they broke such an important law, it will destroy whatever trust and status those two have built up over the years. They'll have no choice in the matter."

"Holy shit," Jane said, a glint forming in her eyes as her trademark evil grin appeared. "That's the best idea you've ever had, Belly-Button."

I poked her in the belly. "Hey, I have my moments from time to time. We should consult Esme and Carlisle first, though, and Alec. Hopefully, he'll have the balls to do it and it'll work."

"He'll do it," Jane said with a giggle, batting my hand. "I know he will. He wants to be free."

"Good," I replied.

The three of us got up—Alice gave me a kiss once more before—then we headed out of my room, Jane dashing to grab her brother while Alice and I went to Esme and Carlisle's study room, Esme welcoming us in. I proceeded to explain my idea to them while Jane brought Alec in with her, and together, we had a long discussion about the ups and downs of the plan.

About an hour and a half later, the discussion was over and my parents, while hesitant to agree at first, acknowledged that the plan was wise and would give Alec the means to leave. To be extra certain, I asked Alice if she could look into the future to see if Alec deciding to do this would cause any repercussions. She said she saw nothing bad happening. Yet.

"We need to go about this delicately," Carlisle said. "One false move and this plan will become the bane of our existence, and none of us wish for that to occur. Alec, are you certain you wish to go through with this? Once you decide, there won't be a chance for you to turn back."

Alec bit his lip and nodded. "Yes. I want to be with my sister, not the Volturi."

"Very well, then," Carlisle replied, placing his hand on Alec's shoulder. "Do you want me to go with you? My presence would, at the very least, help matters with convincing them."

"No," Alec said, shaking his head. "I appreciate the offer, Mr. Cullen, but if you come with me, they'll think I need to rely on your word and that I'm merely bluffing with my words. I need to make this seem as legit as possible, so it's best for me to go alone."

Jane didn't seem to like this, but she remained eerily quiet about it. She excused herself and left the room while Carlisle and Esme made certain Alec didn't want their help. Alice and I departed from their room and headed downstairs to snuggle on the couch, using the silence to our advantage to enjoy one another's presence.

"You think Alec and Cynthia would be cute together?" I asked.

Alice considered this. "Hard to say. They would be cute, yes, but I'm not sure…"

Alice's body froze in my arms and I knew, once again, she was having a vision. I mentally groaned and hoped whatever it was didn't involve the Volturi, Edward or the Thornes. Right now, I didn't want to deal with them, I wanted to be with my mate in peace for a change.

When Alice snapped out of it, she looked troubled. "Uh oh," she mumbled.

"What?" I asked, grimacing. "What's the bad news?"

Alice pointed and I saw Jane appear in the room, an odd glint in her eyes. "Bella," she said.

I frowned. "What is it, Jane? What's wrong?"

She took in a deep breath and sighed. "I've decided I'm leaving to go with Alec."

**A/N: A dangerous gambit and a departure? Uh oh. ****Man, I really do love my cliffhangers, don't I? xD Sorry, folks. Well, kinda. **

**I have a question for everyone, and this is one of those things where an answer would be awesome to hear. Do you know of those "vamp out" moments I write (I've done them several times in this story) where the dialogue. Is very. Short. You know? I wanted to know what all of you thought of those moments; ie, do you like them and do you feel they work for vampires in general? I'm curious. **

**Thanks, everyone. Until next time, which will be a while.**

**Actually, I have another question. I know there are artistic people here on FF and there's got to be some who read my stories (I hope). I wonder...is anyone with knowledge in that department willing to give me feedback on ideas I have for my book cover? I could use advice. Thank you!**


	53. Farewell

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight saga nor the Twilight characters. I own my characters and ideas only. **

**Note: This chapter has not been beta-ed. **

**Farewell**

"You…what?" I asked, staring at my sister in shock.

What did she just say? Did she…no, that couldn't be it. Jane would never say that she was going to leave the family, not like that. However, I knew I hadn't misheard her. She was leaving? She was going with Alec back to Volturi, right into their clutches, without any protection or a way to fight against Chelsea's gift? Did she lose her mind?

Jane ran a hand through her hair and sat down next to me. "I've decided I'm going to go with Alec to Italy, regardless of what he says. He needs me, Bella. I know my brother better than anyone else and the one thing that hasn't changed is the way he settles his problems. He's too peaceful and gentle. He'll back down before he goes through with the plan, I know it."

"But Jane…" I gently placed Alice down and took my sister's hands in mine. "If you go to the Volturi, they'll try to bind you to them. Without Esme and Carlisle's influence, you'll be vulnerable and there won't be a damn thing you can do. At least take Esme with you or me, but please don't do this by yourself. I'd never be able to forgive myself if something happened."

The thought terrified me; so many different things could happen to Jane and I wouldn't be there for her, none of us would. She'd be defenseless aside from her brother, and while his gift was handy and I knew he'd help her, they wouldn't be enough alone. They'd be overwhelmed.

Jane shook her head. "I have to do this on my own, Bella. I'm sorry, but I can't drag any of you into this, because if it backfires, I'd rather be the one to suffer the consequences."

I gripped her hands and growled. "I'm not letting you go, Jane." My inner animal refused to allow my sister, my coven mate, to do this. "I won't let you do it."

"You won't stop me, Bella," she said sternly, holding my gaze with her piercing gold eyes that destroyed my resolve and will to fight with her over it. "You'd never do that to me and we both know it. You love me too much and you could never force me to do anything. Esme and Carlisle taught you that, remember? So don't try and act tough. It won't work."

She was right about that and I hated admitting it to myself; no matter how tough or angry I was or acted, I could never openly try to stop one of my siblings from doing something they wanted to do, even if it was stupid and reckless like what Jane would be doing. I couldn't let her go alone, though, even if she was with Alec.

"I'll go with you, Jane," I said. "That way, I can—"

"Bella," Jane interjected, pulling her hands from mine to cup my cheeks. "No."

I grimaced and gave her a pleading look. "Please, Jane. Be reasonable."

"I am being reasonable," Jane replied. "Do you honestly think I would put you, my best friend and my favorite sister, in harm's way? You're the center piece of this family, Bella. Everyone loves you the most because without you, the Cullens wouldn't exist. Besides, you have Alice to protect. She needs you, Bella. The whole family does."

I turned to Alice, whose pulsing blue eyes radiated with multiple emotions. "Alice is a strong girl, Jane," I said, turning away to face my sister. "She has Cynthia to keep her safe, not to mention the others. Don't get me wrong; I would hate leaving her, but if it means protecting you, then I'll do it. You're my baby sister, Jane. I don't want anything to happen to you."

Jane smiled and kissed my cheek. "I'm pretty strong, Belly-Button. I've been in fights before and killed my fair share of vampires. Besides, if Alec and I team up, we'll be invincible. There's no reason to drag you into this. And if all else fails, I could probably kill Aro or Sulpicia myself and go out with a bang. Either way, you can't go with me and that's final."

"Damn you, Jane," I growled. "Why do you have to do this? What if you're wrong about Alec?"

"I'm not," Jane replied, removing her hands from my face. "Trust me, Bella. If there's one thing I've never been more dead certain about, it's my brother. He's strong, but not strong enough to do something of this magnitude by himself. I am, though. I'll be his support system and the arms that help him carry this load. I owe it to him as his sister."

"And if he refuses your help?" I asked.

"He won't," Jane replied. "He might try, but he'll fail. I've made my mind up. I'm going."

She stood up, but I immediately grabbed her and pulled her into my arms to hug her. Jane melted into my arms and she let me hold her for a long while, neither of us speaking or registering anything else but each other. My little sister, as much of a pain in the ass as she was, would be doing something far braver than anything I'd ever done in my life. I envied her bravery.

_I hate her stubbornness, though,_ I grumbled in my mind. "Are you going to tell the others?"

"I don't know," Jane murmured, burying her face into my neck.

"They'll try to stop you," Alice said quietly. I felt bad for neglecting her like this, but I hoped she would understand. "Rosalie will threaten to rip your legs off to stop you from going. The only ones who won't are Esme and Carlisle. They'll attempt to talk you out of it, but since it's your choice, they'll support you in the end, under a few conditions."

Jane sighed. "Thank you, Alice. When is Alec leaving?"

"In ten minutes," Alice replied. "He's going to try to sneak off without saying a word."

"Bastard," Jane said with a snort. "He's just like me."

I gave her a squeeze and kissed her forehead. "Why tell me, Jane? Why not tell Riley?"

"Riley would want to go with me," Jane replied. "I love him too much to put him in danger that way. And while I love you almost as much as him, and I figured you'd react the way you did, you were the only one who wouldn't go through with a threat of stopping me." She smiled warmly at me. "You're too soft, Belly-Button. You love me too much."

I made a choking sound, which was me fighting back invisible tears. "Shut up, twerp."

"I'm going to tell Esme and Carlisle," Jane said, reluctantly prying herself from my arms. "I love you, Belly-Button. You are my dearest friend and my closest sibling, closer than I ever dreamed imaginable. Give the others my love and tell them not to come after me. And tell Riley…" She grimaced. "Tell him to be strong and that I'll see him soon."

"Okay," I replied, allowing her to stand. "Love you too, Janie."

She smiled briefly, then looked to Alice. "Watch over my sister, Alice."

"I'll do whatever it takes," Alice replied. "You have my word."

"Good," Jane said. "You'd better, or I'll kick your ass when I return."

She kissed Alice's forehead, then mine, before turning and darting up the stairs without another word. I slumped into the couch as the realization that my sister was going away hit me and I felt like a part of me was trying to break away. I swallowed the feeling down as Alice grasped my hand and gave it a squeeze, at which point I turned to her and embraced her.

"I didn't mean to—" Alice cut me off with a kiss and I felt the raw emotion in her lips as I sighed against her mouth. Alice wasn't upset; she would do the same thing for Cynthia, and I knew there was no reason for me to apologize or worry.

I heard the sound of a door open and close, then silence upstairs. I wondered if Alec had already left and Jane was on her way after him, but the thought dissipated when the front door opened and Riley walked into the family room, looking peaceful as he hummed to himself. He noticed Alice and I, however, and immediately frowned in worry.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "You both look sad. Is everything okay?"

I hesitated and glanced at Alice. She tilted her head to one side, then pursed her lips. "He's going to go with her," she whispered into my ear. "Even if you stall, he'll figure it out."

My eyes widened in fear. "Nothing I say…?"

Alice shook her head. "No. I double checked. I'm sorry, Bella."

"Bella?" Riley asked, confused. "I'm assuming you're whispering about me, yes?"

"Jane's going with Alec to Italy," I said, not meeting his eyes. Alice wouldn't be wrong about something like this, and knowing Riley, he would figure it out fairly quickly. "She wanted you to stay here with the rest of us, but apparently, you won't. Just go, Riley. I don't have the heart to say goodbye to another sibling. Please take care of her and yourself."

Riley was silent for a moment before sighing. "I knew she'd make that call," he said. "I could see it in her eyes while he was talking about his past. I prepared myself for that in case it happened. Yes, I will be going. Words won't stop me. She's my mate, and it's my duty to be with her in this time, even if she gets upset. I'm sorry, sister. I love you."

"Love you too," I replied, forcing my eyes to meet his sorrow-filled ones. The magnitude of emotion in Riley's eyes was the strongest I'd ever seen in them. "Be safe." He nodded once, zipped over to kiss my forehead and smile at Alice, then he dashed upstairs as well. Now two pieces of me had broken away, and I had done nothing to try and stop it. "Alice…"

Alice stroked my cheek lovingly. "They're gone, Bella. Alec left two minutes ago, Jane is hot on his heels and Riley just now left. They'll come together within the hour and, after ten minutes of arguing, they'll grudgingly travel together to Italy."

"Thanks," I said, hugging her. "This day stinks."

"Agreed," Alice mumbled. "This whole month has stunk."

We laid there together for a few minutes, but I couldn't sit still, even with Alice with me. I knew Jane had gone to see Esme and Carlisle before she left. Did Riley? Knowing him, he probably didn't, since Riley was far more emotional then he seemed. I saw the pain and sorrow in his eyes at the thought of being away from us, so seeing them would have destroyed him inside.

If anything, I would have to be the one to tell them he was gone, which would only add onto the fact that Jane was leaving. And I could just imagine how they felt. As the parents, their bond with each of was even more powerful than what I had with my siblings. It hurt to think about.

"Alice?" I said after mulling it over in my brain, trying hard not to think about it.

"Yes, Bella?" she said.

"Can we go see Carlisle and Esme?" I asked.

"Sure," she replied.

We headed upstairs to my parents study room once more, only this time, I didn't bother knocking, I simply walked in to see Carlisle comforting Esme behind their desk. Carlisle's eyes met mine as Alice shut the door and he smiled sadly at me.

"You've come to tell us Riley has gone too, haven't you?" Carlisle asked.

"Partially," I admitted, sitting down and pulling Alice to my lap. "I was going to keep him out of the dark as long as I could, but Alice saw that nothing I did would matter. Riley knew Jane was thinking about it before I even got my stupid idea. He was going to go regardless." I pressed my forehead into Alice's and closed my eyes. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Esme asked. Her voice was strained and it broke my heart to hear. "You couldn't have done anything, sweetheart. Those two are both stubborn as hell."

"I know," I said. "But I still…" I cut myself off, knowing there were no words to say. Esme was right; Jane was too stubborn and would do what she damn well wanted, Riley too. "I just wish there was another way instead of letting them go off like this. It's dangerous and there's no telling what the Volturi will do. I'm scared."

"We know, dear," Carlisle said. "We are as well. We must have faith, though."

I looked away from Alice and into my father's eyes, then my mother's. "Is having faith in God going to help you not worry?" I asked, sincerely curious about their response.

"Yes and no," Esme replied. "In the past, it's helped at times, and at others, it hasn't. If you wish to pray, then please do, but you should also have faith in your brother and sister. I know it isn't much to grasp at, dear. It's all we have, though."

Alice cleared her throat after Esme finished. "You have me, you know."

I smiled and kissed Alice. "We know, Ali. I don't want to trouble you, though."

Alice snorted. "Bella, Jane and Riley are important to you, so they're important to me. We may not be super close yet, but I know we will be in the future, which makes them my siblings. And I look out for my siblings. I'll keep an eye on them as they travel and, should I see something alarming, I'll tell all of you ASAP, I promise."

'Thank you, Alice," Carlisle said, giving her a gentle smile.

"What did you tell her?" I asked, glancing between them.

"That she's to be careful, keep an eye on her brother and call us," Esme replied. "And she'd better, or so help me, I will go after her and kick her ass."

Alice giggled. "She will. She'll call later this evening."

"Perhaps we should have told Riley the same thing?" Carlisle wondered.

"Jane will tell him," Alice said, smirking. "He'll speak as well when she calls."

Esme rubbed her eyes and smiled, relieved. "You have no idea how blessed we are to have someone with your abilities in this family, Alice. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Esme," Alice replied. "I am quite a blessing, aren't I?"

All of us laughed at that and I had to give my mate credit; her smugness was both endearing and a tension breaker. I kissed her cheek while she looked at us with mock offense at our laughter and the tension evaporated into thin air. Carlisle and Esme each got up to come and hug us, their love and warmth further relaxing myself while Alice seemed pleased.

Despite the change in mood, it did little ease my worries. And there was another problem. "What are we going to do about telling the others?" I asked, running a hand through my hair. "They won't exactly be thrilled that Jane and Riley up and left us without saying goodbye to them or asking any of them to go too. Rosalie's gonna be pissed."

Alice cocked her head to one side and shuddered. "Pissed is an understatement, Bells," she said.

"Joy," I groaned. "What's she going to do?"

"Be enraged," Alice replied. "She'll be cussing and shouting for five whole minutes. The others aren't going to be much happier. They're not going to be mad at you or anything, Bella, but they will be pissed that Jane and Riley left without saying anything to them. It's inevitable, though; you have to tell them and from what I've seen, waiting won't help."

I sighed. "I guess I should get it over with, then."

"We'll do it," Carlisle said. "You shouldn't have to burden yourself with explaining things."

"This is my fault, Carlisle," I said. "If I hadn't thought up that damned idea..."

"Bella, quit this nonsense," Esme stated. "I know you're upset over it, but blaming yourself for no reason will only make you feel worse. Please, dear, stop. Let us go bring everyone together so we can explain everything and I hope to God this poor house doesn't suffer for it."

"You're right," I murmured. "Sorry, Esme."

"No need to apologize," Esme said, pressing her lips to my forehead. "Why don't you two head downstairs? We'll fetch the others and bring them there shortly. Alice, do you think your sister would prefer to stay in your room or come and join?"

Alice giggled. "I think she'd rather enjoy the drama, no offense."

"None taken," Esme replied, flashing her a smile. "I've often said that, were it possible, we would make a pretty entertaining TV show to watch."

"As long as Bella and I were the main focus, I'd say so," Alice said with a wink.

The two of us returned downstairs—it's a good thing I wasn't human, or I would be going nuts with all the back and forth I was doing—to wait for the time bomb to go off. I busied myself with kissing Alice until everyone was downstairs, including Cynthia, who sat next to us and rolled her eyes when we smiled at her from our position.

"You two enjoy doing that too much," she remarked.

"You like it," Alice replied, giggling.

Cynthia groaned. "Please! I'll pass, thank you."

"Where the hell did Jane and Riley run off to?" Rosalie asked, glancing around. "Are they still talking to Jane's dumbass brother about him not going back to Italy?"

I bit my lip. _Here we go._

"That's actually why we summoned you all down here," Carlisle said. "Jane and Riley have decided to leave with Alec and accompany him to Italy."

I looked to Alice, who held up three fingers. Two. One. "They _**what**_?!" Rosalie roared.

Esme and Carlisle began to explain everything, beginning with the idea I came up with, going into the discussion we had with Jane and Alec present, and then finally saying that Jane came to them shortly after and informed them that she was leaving to go with her brother to ensure that the plan was acted upon the way it needed to be.

They fibbed—just a tiny bit—to make it sound like Riley and Jane went over it with them before leaving and I did my best to act along with them until they mentioned Jane said goodbye to me, which angered and hurt all four of my siblings. They all looked at me with pained eyes and I had to look away from them before I started to feel worse.

As Alice had predicted, after Esme finished up, Rosalie blew up. "What the fuck is wrong with those assholes?!" she snarled, stomping around angrily with gritted teeth and tight fists. "This is the stupidest thing they've ever done and I swear to God, when I see them again, I'm going to rip them both into pieces then rebuild them at a snail's pace!"

"I'll help," Jasper growled, shaking his head. "Of all the brainless schemes…"

"Man, that's not fair," Emmett whined. "I wanted to go too!"

"Emmett, this isn't about going to Italy, damn it," Victoria hissed, smacking him in the back of the head. "This is about our siblings taking off without saying anything to us!"

"Ow!" Emmett groaned. "Quit hitting me!"

They continued to bicker while Alice, Cynthia and I watched on wordlessly. Alice mouthed 'drama' to me and I resisted the urge to start laughing as Jasper finally started sending out calm waves throughout the room to quell the growing rage. Rosalie eventually sat down, none too pleased about everything, and turned to me.

"What did she say to you?" Rosalie asked. "Why didn't she say goodbye to the rest of us?"

"Um…" I licked my lips. "She knew you'd try to stop her, that's why."

"You're damn right I would've," Rosalie growled. "I'm the oldest sister, which makes it my duty to watch out for the rest of you. This idea was fucking ridiculous!" I winced at the harshness of her words and Rosalie seemed to realize this, so she calmed herself. "Your idea I can live with, Bella, but them rushing off to Italy of all places…I can't stand the thought."

"I don't like it any more than you do, Rose," I said. "I tried to stop her, but she wouldn't listen."

"That's our Jane," Jasper sighed. "I suppose, in her mind, what she's doing is the right thing because Alec is her brother and she wants to help him. She should have at least consulted us beforehand, though. I would've been against it, but I wouldn't have tried to stop her from doing what she wants. Rose, you know deep down you wouldn't either."

"Doesn't mean I wouldn't have threatened her otherwise," Rosalie growled. "And what the fuck is Riley's deal? The least he could do is say something!"

"He was in the same position that Jane was," I said.

"It's a shitty excuse," Rosalie said, huffing.

"So," Victoria remarked. "This plan…what are the odds of it succeeding?"

"Fairly good, I would say," Jasper replied a moment later. "Aro and Sulpicia are paranoid cowards, so if we dangle this little bit of info in front of them, they're more likely to freeze up and do whatever they can to keep us happy so we don't talk. Since Didyme and Marcus are on our side, at the least, the odds are very much in our favor."

"I suppose that's _one_ good thing," Victoria said, shrugging.

"It could be worse," Emmett offered. "I don't know how, but it could be."

"Reassuring, Em," Jasper chuckled.

"I try," Emmett replied with a goofy grin. "So who wants to play some video games?"

"What the heck, I will," Jasper said.

"Can I join?" Cynthia asked.

"Sure!" Emmett boomed, flipping the TV on.

"Am I really the only one bothered by this?" Rosalie asked, staring at her husband as he, Jasper, Victoria and Cynthia began to play their video game. "I guess so."

I gave her shoulder a squeeze. "It'll be fine, Rose. Just have faith."

Rosalie looked at me and frowned. "You're struggling with your own words, Bella."

"What choice do I have?" I asked.

"True enough," she agreed. "Fine. I'm going to hunt."

My blonde-haired sister—now the only one for the time being—stood and departed from the room to go and hunt while I laid back on my side with Alice. We just began kissing when Alice froze up, another vision hitting her. I growled to myself, and wished for one day, we'd be able to spend some time together without any interruptions.

_I have to make plans,_ I thought.

"Huh," Alice mumbled when she came out of her vision. "The phone's going to ring."

I frowned. "It took you that long to see the phone ringing?"

"You'll see," she said, winking at me as Rosalie returned and seated herself.

I was about to ask when the phone would ring only for said ringing to begin. Esme answered it in the other room and I heard her speaking into it while the others stopped what they were doing, everyone wondering if it might be Jane or Riley calling. It wasn't, apparently.

"It's for you, dear," Esme said when she walked into the room, handing me the cordless phone, which I brought to my ear. "It's Raina Black from La Push."

_Raina?_ I thought. "Hello?"

"_Hello Bella Cullen,"_ Raina greeted me. _"I heard about what happened. I'm sorry your prey got away from you, but I'm certain you'll remedy that in the future."_

"Uh…thanks," I replied, trying not to think about it. "What can I do for you?"

She chuckled. _"I imagine my calling you out of the blue is rather unorthodox, isn't it? I'll get straight to the point; I was wondering if you, your mate and her sister would be interested in coming over to La Push tomorrow afternoon? You know, have a friendly get together. I understand if you choose to decline, of course. There's no hard feelings."_

I frowned, taken aback by the offer. "What brought this up?"

"_No particular reason,"_ Raina replied. _"Actually, I suppose part of it is due to Leah badgering me about inviting you over. She wants to hang out with a vampire and since she's friends with your mate and her sister, you seemed like the best choice. I also think strengthening the bond between our groups might be fairly helpful. You can wear a breathing mask too, if you'd like."_

_That won't help much_, I thought with a chuckle. "Um, sure. I'd love to go, Raina."

"_That's great news,"_ Raina replied, a smile in her voice. _"Leah will be thrilled, I'm sure. I know a handful of others won't share her sentiments, but you have my word I'll make sure the wolves are on their best behavior, including my idiot brother. If things get too out of hand, I'll make sure the three of you are safely escorted to the treaty line."_

"Fine by me," I replied. "I'll see you tomorrow, Raina."

"_See you tomorrow,"_ she replied before hanging up.

Alice set the phone on the table for me after I hung up as well. "That was…odd."

Alice giggled. "I think it's great!"

"Yeah, because you don't have to smell them," I replied, groaning. "I'm going to need to detoxify my nose afterwards." I sighed. "I have to admit, it'll be a welcome distraction from everything else that's been going on. I guess the stench will be worth it, or at least, I hope. And yes, Rose, I will shower three times when I come back."

"I didn't say anything," Rosalie replied innocently.

"You were thinking it," I remarked, tapping my forehead. "I_ know_ you were."

Rosalie fluffed her hair. "Whatever you say, Belly-Button."

"I don't think you should shower at all when you come back," Alice said. "I like me a dirty girl."

I gawked at my smirking girlfriend in bewilderment until Cynthia coughed. "What exactly is everyone talking about?" she asked, frowning. "I'm guessing it has to do with La Push because I heard showers being discussed, but…can someone clue me in?"

"Sorry Cynthia," Alice giggled. "We've been invited to La Push tomorrow. You, me and Bella are going to go and have a rocking time with Leah and a few wolves."

Cynthia seemed excited at the prospect, then quickly made her face neutral. "That sounds cool."

_What the hell?_ I thought, arching an eyebrow at Alice, who shrugged nonchalantly. "Alright then, I guess it's settled. We'll go over there at twelve thirty. That's long enough for you two to get some rest and get ready, yes?"

"Yeah," Cynthia replied. "Unless Alice takes a year long shower, that is."

"Shut up, I don't take that long of a shower!" Alice huffed.

"Do too," Cynthia said, snorting.

"Girls, girls," I said, chuckling. "Shower together. Problem solved."

"Dude," Emmett breathed. "I…you know, never mind."

Cynthia grinned wickedly. "Actually, that's not a bad idea. It means Alice has nowhere to run and I get to torment her all I want."

Alice gulped and gave me a pleading look, but I merely shrugged. "You can either take a quick shower tomorrow, or you and Cynthia can have one together to save time. Don't give me the pout, Ali, I take showers in less than five minutes at the longest."

"Fine," Alice mumbled, huffing.

I smiled, kissed her on the lips, then rolled off the couch to stand. "I'll be back in a bit," I said, deciding that I needed some time to myself. "I'm going to go get some air and hunt."

"Okay," Alice replied. "See you soon."

I turned and darted out of the room, exiting the house and sprinting into the woods within seconds while I allowed my mind to wander. I thought about my fight with Edward, Adira's appearance, the revelation about the Thornes, Alec's plight and the departure of Jane and Riley as they went to help Alec break away from the Volturi.

I eventually sat down beneath a tree and rested against it as I let my thoughts drift. I wanted to be there for Jane and Riley, to help them, but at the same time, perhaps it was best that they went and did this on their own. This was their thing since Alec was Jane's brother. All I could do was silently pray and have faith things would turn out for the best.

As far as Edward went, I wasn't going to think about him any time soon. Dante's words had sunk in and it made me smile to think that Edward was losing his cool, which was great to hear. I know how ammunition to use against him when we clashed again, because I knew he'd be back to settle the score, but he'd also try and pull some tricks to get me to act out.

I didn't know what sick plans he was already forming in his head, but when the time come, provided Dante was truly trustworthy and didn't die in the process, I would be ready for him and finish him off once and for all, no interruptions. As far as his mate went, I would deal with her too. If anything, I knew a certain vampire who would be more than happy to fight her.

Each topic came and went into my mind, the last of them being tomorrow. Raina's call to offer me a chance to go to La Push was surprising and I wondered if there was an ulterior motive to her request. She didn't seem like the lying type and I couldn't see her betraying the treaty by killing me for no reason, yet it felt like there was more.

_Maybe I'll find out tomorrow,_ I thought. _For now, I won't worry about it._

A burning sensation formed in my throat, so I opted to stop thinking and start hunting. I stood up and pushed my body into the forest, letting go of my senses as I silently asked God to watch out for my brother and sister, Alec too, because they were on their own for now and I had my own issues to deal with, knowing tomorrow was going to be a very interesting day.

**A/N: Hi everybody! What's, uh, up?**

**Anyone still reading this? Yes? No? *sigh* I know, I'm bad. I need to stop leaving all of you (who enjoy this story) so much, but I won't be doing it again. Even though the updates will be a bit slow, I intend to stick to this story only since I've finished re-editing my first novel. That was what I was focusing on beforehand and why I didn't update, although I will admit that this chapter WAS finished before I went on hiatus. I simply wanted something to fall onto when I got back to writing Broken Aurora, and now, I finally have. **

**A few short things, if you will. One, I've been dealing with a lot lately personal-wise. School is a given, and so is the book, but there's also been a lot of stress and, well, depression. I won't go into specifics, but things haven't been easy for my mother and I, and they don't look to be getting any easier. I'm not using it as an excuse for my absence, just explaining what's going on in my life.**

**Now, I'm going back into Broken Aurora, no pauses or anything like that. As I said, the chapters will be a bit slow because the spark kind of left me for this story and it's taking its sweet time getting back to me. Regardless, expect some surprises down the road and if you've stuck with me so far, I thank you. **

**People have been asking about a Blood Solstice sequel. I won't say that I'm NOT going to do it, but right now, I can't say that I will any time soon, either. I have too many other projects planned, and those will take precedence, I'm afraid. Should the worst arise, I can always write up SOMETHING to satisfy all your questions and desires with the Solstice Saga, but I wouldn't worry. Just because I have other stuff doesn't mean I won't ever get to it. I will, or at the very least, I will try to when the time comes. **

**I'm still looking for a beta, so if anyone is interested, please PM me. If you've PMed me before and I didn't get back to you, please do so again. I apologize; I've been kind of out of it, so I may or may not have gotten back to every PM. Shame on me. xD**

**At any rate, that's about it. Jane, Alec and Riley's fates? Up in the air for now. But, as I'm predictable, don't fret too much. At least, not for them.**


	54. The Invitation

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or Twilight characters, Meyer does. I own my characters, concepts and ideas. **

**Note: This chapter is has not been beta-ed. Please note any mistakes I've made, thank you.**

**The Invitation**

I sat silently outside on an easy chair, staring out into the expanse of forest that stretched out before me, thinking about what had happened the other day. Jane had decided to leave with her brother to go to Volterra in order to "free" her brother from the clutches of the Volturi, and Riley had run off after them. I wondered if the plan I'd randomly devised was good enough.

It was reckless and dangerous, I knew it. Everyone did. Alice had told me repeatedly before she went to sleep that everything would be fine and that if there were any changes, she'd see them and let me know immediately. I trusted her, but I didn't trust her visions, not when it came to my family member's lives. No. I couldn't not think about it, couldn't not worry, not for a second. Still, I had plans for today, so I'd have to shelve my worries for the time being.

I closed my eyes and ran a hand through my hair, soaking in the sun as it slowly rose into the sky, first peeking through the trees before becoming a blazing orb of light that caused my skin to glow. I could see myself sitting as still as a statue, glowing, but I didn't pay any attention to it.

_I wonder what the real deal is_, I thought, reopening my eyes. The wolves. They had, or rather, Raina had, invited me over to La Push alongside Alice and Cynthia. Me, a vampire, the thing they hated or were supposed to hate. I didn't like it. I'd be surrounded by my enemies and even with my newly discovered gift, I doubted I'd be a match for all of them.

I'd given my word, however, and I planned on keeping it. That was how Carlisle and Esme had raised me after they turned me, after all. I sighed and stood upright, and by glancing at the sky, I assumed it was at least seven o'clock, or somewhere close by. That gave me two hours to mentally prepare myself—and my nose, of course—for my trip to La Push.

"How did I know you'd be out here?" I turned to see Jasper as he walked outside, bowing his head once with a small smile, which I returned. "How long have you been here for?"

"A few hours," I replied. "After Alice went to sleep, I needed some alone time. I'm guessing you felt my emotions, huh, Jazz?" He chuckled and nodded as he came to stand beside me, wrapping one around my waist. I leaned into his brotherly embrace. "Mind if I ask a random question?"

"Go for it."

"Can you turn your gift off?" I asked.

Jasper seemed slightly surprised by how random my question truly was, but it wore off quickly. "I can't, truth be told, at least not in the sense that you're thinking. No, my gift is always on, but I can mentally weaken it by not focusing so much. So if I'm in a room full of horny teenagers, which has happened far more times than I care to admit, I can block their emotions out about…I'd say ninety five percent. The other five percent is still there, lingering."

I turned my gaze to him. "That must stink."

He snickered. "Kind of. But then, I've gotten used to it. Everywhere I go, I know how someone feels. If they're happy, sad, angry…I know it, but I can ignore it if I choose to. Most of the time, I do, since it's not my business." His eyes met mine. "Where'd this come from?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. A distraction, I suppose. Tell me, Jazz…how hard was it to train your gift? I mean, I doubt you had the same level of control when you were a newborn, right?"

"True," Jasper replied "I couldn't block out the emotions, nor could I 'manipulate' them, although I hate using the term. I don't like doing it, either, but sometimes, it's useful. But yes, it took me a handful of years to study my gift and learn its strengths, weaknesses and limitations. Are you asking because you want to know if you can train your gift?"

I considered his question for a moment, the nodded. "Partially, yes."

"With a gift like yours, training would be a wise idea," Jasper said. "If you can move so fast that time seems to stand still, imagine the possibilities. But don't push yourself too hard and don't overestimate your gift, because every ability has a weakness."

"What's _your_ gift's weakness?" I asked, lifting an eyebrow.

He smirked. "As if I'd tell you, little sister."

We laughed together, then broke apart and I decided to hunt even though I wasn't thirsty. Even so, having blood in me made it easier for me to keep calm and not let my vampiric instincts take over, which they might have ended up doing given the fact that the wolves were my "enemies."

Jasper and Victoria, who walked out at that moment, joined me, and afterwards, I showered and changed. By the time I was finished, it was nine—it amazed me how time seemed to fly by all of a sudden—and Alice and Cynthia were up and about. I greeted Cynthia with a hug, then turned to pull Alice into a tender hug, along with a kiss. We kissed for several minutes until Alice needed to catch her breath, but she was grinning all the while.

"You have no idea how amazing it is to wake up each morning, knowing I'll get to kiss and hold you," Alice said. "And if you did, it still wouldn't compare to how it feels to me."

I smiled. "I appreciate that, Ali."

"Way to be arrogant," Cynthia said, snickering.

"Shut up, you," Alice said, playfully sticking her tongue out. "You're just jealous."

Something flashed in Cynthia's eyes, but it was gone before I could mentally question it, although when I shot a look at Jasper, he gave me a curt nod as if he knew what was going through my mind. Cynthia _was _jealous. I couldn't blame her, not because Alice was with me, but because Alice had someone in general. A mate wasn't necessary for happiness, no, but I couldn't imagine how Cynthia felt when she saw her sister as happy as she was.

_Maybe we should look into finding Cynthia someone_, I thought, smiling to myself. I wouldn't mention it to Alice, not yet, at least. "So, are you girls ready?"

"For some fun in the sun?" Alice said. "Hell yeah."

"Sun?" I said, frowning. "Crap. I can't be seen by the humans, Ali."

"They won't see you," Alice said, tapping the side of her forehead. "The council knows how the sun affects you, so they're closing off La Push for the day, which means we'll be the only ones there. They're going to have a big bonfire tonight, too." She grinned. "It's going to be fun!"

"Unless one of the mutts decides to throw Bella into the flames," Rosalie said, scowling as she walked into the room. I stared at her in horror of her word choice and she grimaced. "Sorry. That's…forget I said anything. I'm still pissed at Jane and Riley, the dumbasses." She shook her head and sighed, the frustration practically pouring off her in waves, to the point that Jasper had to send out waves of calmness to counteract her boiling anger.

"It's okay, Rose," I said, wrapping my arms around her taller, stronger frame. "Just have faith."

"I do," she replied quietly. "But that doesn't mean I trust the Volturi."

I nodded. "I know how you feel."

"Tell me, do you really intend to go to La Push?" Rosalie asked. "Why would you want to be surrounded by angry dogs that hate you for what you are? I know there are a few good wolves there, don't get me wrong, and I give them credit for being better at the whole 'friendly' thing than most of us, but still. You'll have more enemies than allies. And the stench!"

"I don't really know, Rose," I said. "I guess it's to take my mind off of things? I wasn't thinking fully when Raina asked if I wanted to go, but at the same time, it's the first time a vampire has ever been invited over there, so how could I refuse? I'm not sure I'll be as animated as I wish I could be, but at least it will give me something to do. And it's good for Alice and Cynthia."

"Yes, because being surrounded by more immortal beings is always good," Rosalie said dryly, a hint of mirth in her eyes. "Either way, you're all taking at least three showers when you return."

"Just make sure you don't burst in and ruin the moment this time," Jasper said, grinning.

Rosalie scowled. "How many times must that be brought up? I apologized!"

Time passed by and soon, Alice and Cynthia were readying themselves for their trip to the beach. They wore tank tops and shorts, with their bikinis under them, which I tried not to think about, because the imagery of Alice in a bikini would have made it impossible for me to leave in the first place. She had no qualms with teasing me, however.

Regardless, after they ate breakfast, we were driving off to La Push, a fairly short drive in itself. No one spoke, however. Alice and Cynthia stared out their respective windows and I found myself thinking over everything, but the silence bothered me. I glanced at Alice for a moment, wondering what was going through her mind. She looked at me instantly and offered me a tiny smile, mouthing the words 'later' before she reached out to squeeze my hand.

_Maybe she's just letting me think for now_, I thought, smiling back at her. I was broken from my thoughts when I realized that I was at the border that separated the wolf territory from our territory, and at first, I half-expected several giant wolves to come bounding out of nowhere and snarl at me. None came, though, and I was baffled.

"Bella, they invited us over," Alice said. "I doubt they'd attack us."

"That'd be pretty shitty of them," Cynthia said.

I shrugged. "Do you see them attacking?"

Alice frowned and concentrated for a moment. "No. It's safe."

I slowly drove over the border line, glancing all around as I did, and when nothing happened, I drove a little faster until I was at the parking lot. Once I'd parked, the three of us exited our car and I could already smell the wolves despite the fact that none were nearby. I grimaced and both human girls giggled at my expression—or so I assumed—which I ignored.

Alice and Cynthia retrieved their beach bags with their changes of clothes and towels while I looked around, half-expecting someone to run up to us. I'd feel a little lost, otherwise, because I was used to being allowed into a place, even if that place was a massive public beach. Even so, old habits died hard when it came to vampires and werewolves.

Then, however, I spotted Leah, the girl who apparently pestered Raina into asking us—or perhaps it was me?—over to La Push in the first place. She spotted us instantly and started jogging toward us, and I knew from her scent that she was still a human.

"Hey!" Leah said, grinning as she ran up to greet us. "What's up, girls?"

"Not much," I replied, shrugging. "I was starting to wonder whether or not someone was going to show up since this is a first and all." I appraised her for a moment, then smiled. "Thank you for having a hand in inviting us over, Leah. I appreciate the offer."

"_We_ appreciate," Alice said, lightly nudging me.

"I'm glad you accepted," Leah said. "It's about time something interesting happened around here. It's way too damned boring and since I'm not a wolf, I have even less to do." She sighed and shook her head. "Man, it stinks not being able to shapeshift. I don't get why Seth became a wolf but I haven't been able to, yet. But, anyways. Raina's waiting."

I grimaced. "You make it sound like I'm going to be executed."

She laughed. "Nah, nothing that bad, I swear."

I glanced at Alice, who giggled. "It's fine, Bella. She just wants to talk."

"So you _can_ see the future?" Leah asked as the three of us began to follow Leah. The sun peered through the clouds above and I felt it on my body moments later, causing Leah to stop and gape at me with astonishment. "Whoa. The legends are true…"

"Yes and, apparently, yes," I said, chuckling. Even though I'd chosen a long sleeved shirt and pants to avoid glowing too much, it wasn't enough to prevent my hands and face from lighting up. Alice and Cynthia were gazing at me as well, both of them as transfixed as Leah. "Is my glowing really that fascinating? I've seen it so many times, it doesn't bother me."

"That's easy for you to say," Cynthia said. "It's not every day we get to see someone walk around like they just fell down from Heaven itself."

"That's putting it mildly," Alice said, appraising me with love and wonderment. "God, Bella. You have no idea how truly beautiful you look right now." She reached her hand out and stroked my cheek. "Your skin feels a bit warmer, even."

I placed my hand on top of hers and smiled at her. "Thanks, Ali."

"Are you gonna make out?" Leah asked. "That would be really hot."

"Ugh, no thank you," Cynthia said. "Save it for your room. No offense."

I rolled my eyes, but smiled regardless as Leah eventually snapped out of her gawking and led us to where Raina was. The pungent scent of the wolves practically radiated around me, and I grimaced slightly, but I ignored it to the best of my ability as I walked up to Raina, who was standing casually beneath the shade of a large tree.

"Alice, Cynthia, Bella," she said, nodding to each of us. "Glad to have you here."

"Thanks for the invite, Raina," Alice said, walking up to hug the giant wolf. I was stunned at the display, but when I saw Alice wink at me, I knew she'd done it on purpose.

_Two can play at that game, missy_, I thought. _But not now. Later._

Raina seemed amused as she smiled. "You're quite welcome." She turned to me. "Would you like that breathing mask, Bella? You're going to be surrounded by a lot of wolves later on during our bonfire ceremony. And no, you're not the kindling or anything of that sort. You don't have to be anywhere near the fire, for that matter."

"I'll be fine," I said. I wasn't going to let their stench or a fire get to me. "So, what's on the agenda for the day? What sorts of activities do you wolves usually do for entertainment?"

"Many things," Raina replied. "Wrestling, hiking, climbing, cliff jumping, volleyball, races, surfing…we may be shapeshifters, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy normal human activities." There was a mischievous glimmer in her eyes as she grinned at me. "And since you're a vampire, that means you can take part in all of them, if you chose to, at the same level that we do. Unless, of course, you're not sure you can beat a wolf."

I narrowed my eyes. That's why she wanted me here. She wanted to prove that wolves were superior to vampires. I smirked. "If that's what you think, you clearly don't know me or anyone from my coven well enough, my dear wolf. Anything you can do—"

"You can do better?" Raina asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"No," I said. "I can do the same."

"What, no song and dance?" Leah asked, snickering.

"So you wish to have competitions?" I asked, lifting an eyebrow.

Raina laughed. "No, no. I was joking. If that's what you want, I'm fine with it so long as we don't go for each other's throats over some harmless competition. You can do what you want here, Bella, as can your mate and her sister. There won't be any humans around who don't know what you are, and even then, they'll pay you no mind. As far as the wolves, expect some jeering and insults, but again, ignore them. I've given them strict orders not to try anything."

"And if they do?" I asked, but now, my voice was lower. I didn't want to think about it, but the chances of a wolf getting enraged and trying to kill me—or my doing the very same thing—still existed, and I couldn't risk anything happening to Alice or Cynthia. I wouldn't stand idly be if a wolf threatened them, either. I flatly refused.

"I will deal with them," Raina said. "Or Sam and Emily will. They're my Betas, my right hand man and my left hand woman, although right now, they're out patrolling along with a few others. You can trust them, Bella. They share my beliefs."

"It'll be fine, Bella," Alice said, smiling at me.

A pungent smell suddenly assaulted my nostrils and I turned just in time to see Raina's brother, Jacob, strutting towards us with three other wolves following close behind. He sneered when he saw us and Raina tensed up slightly, as if he was about to attack at any given moment. I re-positioned myself so I was shielding both Alice and Cynthia, although Alice scoffed at it.

"I'm not scared of him," she said.

"What's up?" Jacob said when he stopped. "You've got guts to be here, leech, I'll give you that much. Or did you come here to suck us dry when we had our backs turned?"

"Jacob…" Raina said warily. "Watch it."

"I'm playing nice!" Jacob said, glaring at her. "I just wanted to see if the leech is in for some volleyball with me and a few of my boys. She and her friends here can play." He grinned, as if I'd refuse his offer or something. "What do you say, bloodsucker? Wanna go a few rounds?"

He made it sound like a fight and I grinned. "Of course, I'd love to." I glanced at Alice and Cynthia, who nodded in agreement, and Leah did the same. "Lead the way," I said.

"My boys and I versus you girls," Jacob said after he led us to where they had a volleyball net set up and a ball already waiting, as if he knew we'd agree to his request. "How's that?"

"Is this supposed to be a battle of the sexes?" Alice asked.

Jacob snorted. "No, because men would win every time."

"Oh, that's it," Leah said. "C'mon, girls, let's own these bastards."

I grinned. "I'm game."

"We should get the ball first," Cynthia said. "It's only proper, after all."

"Fine," Jacob said. "Not like it'll do you any good."

I was growing annoyed with his chauvinistic attitude. "I'll serve."

"Try not to hit it too hard," Alice said, offering me a tiny smile. "We wouldn't want to destroy the ball before we whooped the boy's asses, now would we?"

The boys snickered at her remark and I nodded as all of us took our places. I measured the amount of strength I used as I swatted the ball over the net, and with luck, it was the exact amount needed to avoid popping it. One of the wolves hit it back and thus began our game of volleyball, which quickly turned into a battle of the races, because the wolves were adamant on proving their superiority over me. I was eager to prove them wrong.

Back and forth the ball went, and while Leah, Cynthia and Alice did amazingly well to keep up with the wolves, most of it fell on my shoulders—the boys were making certain of it. The score was soon thirteen to ten, with our team winning, but the ball was now on the boys' side.

"We're going to win," Alice said triumphantly, smirking. She was sweating from the constant movement and the sun, which magnified her heavenly scent to a tantalizing degree. Cynthia and Leah smelled almost as good as she did and I had to steady myself from growing delirious.

_Maybe I should've sat this out_, I thought, grimacing at how good they smelled. Thankfully, I was able to keep myself in check, which the presence of the wolves helped out with.

"Not bad, leech," Jacob said. "But I bet you won't be able to get this next one. I've been going easy on you so far, but now's when shit gets serious."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm petrified."

"You should be!" he spat, growling at me.

"Calm down, Jakie," Leah said. "And serve the damned ball, Quil!"

Quil served the ball forcefully and Leah hit it back, and for a few strikes, Jacob did nothing aside from stand completely still, glaring at me with fury and loathing. Then, Cynthia struck the ball and it came down towards him, and he hit it once, a light tap, to bounce it up. Then he grinned at me and leapt into the air to hit it again.

Jacob sneered nastily as he pounded the ball with his fist, sending it flying directly at me. I concentrated, however, and at that moment, I was able to tap into my gift. Time and everything else froze as I casually caught the ball and moved it so I'd be in the perfect position to smack it right back over the net. With a grin, I did thrust my arm outwards just as my gift wore off and hit the volleyball, sending it flying into the air at the perfect angle.

Jacob looked flabbergasted and the other wolves on his team were equally stunned, and for a moment, they whipped their heads around to try and see where the ball had gone.

"What the hell happened?" Jacob demanded. "Where did you—?"

"Up," I said, pointing to the sky. No sooner did I say that did the volleyball come crashing down on top of the boy's head, knocking him to the ground immediately. "Oops."

Alice, Cynthia and Leah burst into laughter behind me and several of the wolves did the same, among them being Leah's brother, Seth. Jacob looked infuriated as he got to his feet and snarled, but two of the wolves grabbed him before he could charge at me—which I knew was what he intended to do—and pulled him back. Despite my amusement, I showed nothing on my face, because I knew if I kept this up, he'd try and kill me.

_Better not risk it_, I thought. I had Alice and Cynthia to protect, not to mention my own life since the wolves would likely use whatever excuse they could to kill me. Being competitive and childish was fine when it was my family, but I'd have to swallow the urges—and my temper and pride—while I was on wolf territory. That might be a bit difficult.

"Damn it!" Jacob bellowed. "You fucking bitch! You did that on purpose!"

_Says the punk who tried to take my head off_, I thought, merely shrugging.

"Hey!" Alice shouted, and I suddenly noticed she was standing by my side. "Don't talk to her like that, asshole! You started it!" She glared at him fiercely and I wondered if _she_ would try charging at _him_, and although I relished the idea, I placed a gentle hand on her shoulder to make sure she avoided trying it. Even if he was an ass, he was still a wolf.

"Relax, Ali," I whispered before glancing at the seething wolf. "Best two out of three?"

"You're on," he said, growling. "Quil, Embry, Paul! Stop fucking around!"

"Don't boss me around!" snapped the one named Paul.

"Dude, chill," said another, whose name was Quil, I believed. "Damn. Both of you need to get your panties out of their knots. It's just a game."

"A game against a vampire," said the other, Embry.

Jacob grabbed the ball. "I'm serving, bitch."

"Go right ahead," I replied.

He smacked the ball forcefully over the net and Alice got it, pounding it with her hands into the air while Leah leapt up and swatted it down. Needless to say, everything sped up, but by the end of it, our team had won. Alice, Leah and especially Cynthia—who showed a competitive, athletic side to herself that I never would have guessed existed—kicked ass. The wolves did well too, although most of the "well" had to do with Quil and Embry.

They weren't quick to anger like Paul and Jacob, nor did they spend their time throwing out taunts, insults or gloats. They disliked me, I knew, but they were more controlled with it and I had to admit I respected them for it. And after we won and Jacob and Paul seethed, the other two wolves swallowed their pride and came up to me and offered their hands.

"Not bad," Quil said, smiling a little. "For a corpse, you're pretty good at volleyball."

"Not bad yourself," I replied. "I'm sure you'll find some way to shame me, though."

"It's not about shaming you," Embry said. "It's not about old hatreds or us being enemies, or anything like that. It's the pressure put on us by the council, the resentment we feel toward vampires in general for how much easier they have it, the fact that you've been around longer than us and know more than us. You're superior in many ways."

"Hardly," I said. "Just as you have tempers that can flare, we have the same. We have the temper, the pride, the desire to fight and prove our dominance. The bloodlust…all of those things and more. You have voices shouting in your ears as humans and in your minds as wolves, I get that. But imagine the pain, the horror, at killing someone for your own survival. It's not easy, or fun, and I hate myself all the more for the lives I've taken. Many of our kind feel that way."

Embry seemed surprised and considered this. "Maybe we're more alike than different."

"Hell no!" Jacob shouted. "We're nothing like these life-sucking monsters, Embry!" He smacked Embry upside the head and Embry snarled at him. "We're protectors of humans, preservers of life. These abominations kill to survive, even if they don't kill humans." He glared at me. "You just admitted you've taken lives before, bitch. And you plan to turn two more into your kind! Fuck that! Fuck you, your damned family, all of your kind!"

Alice shot past me and I saw her hands trembling. "Don't talk about her like that!"

"Or what?" Jacob asked. "You'll—"

Raina suddenly appeared and her fierce gaze alone stopped Jacob in his tracks. "Jacob, you and I need to talk," she said. "The rest of you, if you're hungry, there's food already prepared." She pointed her finger in a different direction, smiling a little.

I knew that she was silently asking us to leave, so I bowed my head and walked along with Alice as Cynthia and Leah chatted with each other. Quil, Embry and Paul were ahead of us, silent as they moved in the direction of the horrid stench of food that permeated the air.

It was Leah's mother Sue who brought out several plates of food and set them out. "Lunch time, everybody!" She turned and offered me a small smile after she and two other people finished arranging the giant plates of various foods that I couldn't name. "Hungry, Bella?" Whether she meant it as a joke or she was serious, I couldn't tell, but she looked like she was genuinely uncertain if I could stomach human food. "Are you able to eat?"

I shook my head. "No, but thank you. I filled myself up before I came here."

"I see," she replied, nodding. "My apologies."

"It's fine," I said, offering her a polite smile.

"I'm starving," Leah said, plopping down. A handful of wolves—among whom Raina and her brother were not—sat down and began filling their plates, as did the three humans present.

"This looks delicious," Cynthia said.

"Definitely," Alice agreed before turning to me. "Want some?"

"Ha ha," I said, waving a hand in front of my nose. "No thanks. You…enjoy."

I watched as Alice, Cynthia and Leah started to eat along with the other wolves. I'd never been so thoroughly disgusted in my life from the way the wolves ate, and to my surprise, all three humans ate the same: they gobbled down huge morsels of food as if they hadn't eaten in months.

_Damn, who knew they had that big of an appetite?_ I thought. The stenches of the food they ate repulsed me, of course, so I did my best not to breathe in as I watched. It was gross, but at the same time, watching them fascinated me. It made me think about how I once ate food—not the way they did, of course, but still—and I wondered what it would be like if I had the ability to eat human food now. Then again, maybe it was best that I didn't think about it.

Eventually, the piles of food that had been set out were devoured and everyone relaxed. Alice looked at me and grinned, at which point she realized that she had a little bit of food on her face. Embarrassed, she yanked a napkin away from Cynthia and cleaned herself up and I smirked at the shade of pink her cheeks turned as she mumbled something under her breath.

"I didn't quite catch that," I whispered.

"I got caught up in the moment," she mumbled, her cheeks reddening even more.

I snickered at her embarrassment, then stood and moved away from all the smells assaulting my nose. Alice joined me and we hugged as we gazed out at the waves together for a moment.

"How are you doing?" Alice asked. "Stinky enough for you?"

I chuckled. "Nothing I haven't dealt with before. What about you?"

"I like it," Alice said. "Some of the wolves are really nice, and then there's Leah. She's fun and I know we're going to be good friends." She smiled warmly at me. "I think working with the wolves is a great idea, Bella. There's so much to learn about them, just as there is to learn about vampires. I feel like a little kid being told their favorite story at night, but everything is new and exciting. Plus, vampires and werewolves as allies? That's just awesome in my opinion."

I laughed and pressed my lips to hers. "Oh, Alice. I love you."

"I love you too," she replied, kissing me back. "Oh." She turned and smirked. "It looks like Leah and Cynthia want to test my ability to see the future. What a couple of suckers." She kissed my cheek. "I'm going to go show them how wrong they are. Join us whenever you want."

"Wouldn't I be going with you now?" I asked.

Alice merely smiled. "I saw a glimpse of you and Raina chatting. She's over there right now, by herself, and she'll gladly speak to you if you go and visit her." She pointed in the direction of Raina and I, realizing that she was right, nodded. "We'll be in Leah's mom's house, which is over there." She pointed again and I followed her finger to where I saw Leah, her brother and Cynthia chatting on the steps. "See you in a bit."

She ran off and I stared after her, frowning. Was it me, or was there something bothering her? Or maybe I was wrong. I didn't know; I had so much on my mind, it was difficult to tell at the moment, but what I did know was that she was correct: I wanted to speak with Raina and see why it was she invited me to La Push. There had to be a reason.

I moved past several wolves to where Raina was just as she turned around. "Oh, Bella." She seemed startled. "I was just about to come and find you."

"Really?" I asked.

She nodded. "Yes, I wanted to talk. I imagine you wish to do the same, no?"

"I do, yes," I replied. For a moment, we stood there, looking at one another in silence as a light breeze blew past us. I caught wind of Raina's scent and grimaced slightly at the rawness to it, and she did the same, but neither of us said anything. I noticed several things about Raina as we just stood there: I noticed how much of a giant she truly was compared to me, how her skin seemed to gleam in the sunlight, how beautiful she was and how strong she looked.

"You know, you really don't have that bad of a smell," Raina said, tilting her head to the side ever so slightly. "Sometimes vampires have a very strong stink, but you Cullens don't. I've never really paid much attention to it, although I've heard a lot of whining and bitching from certain wolves, usually the ones with sensitive noses. But to me? You smell…decent."

"I'd have to say it's the same with you," I said. "And yet, your brother reeks."

Raina guffawed. "Yes, I'm fully aware of that."

More silence fell between us and I turned my gaze to the ocean as I thought about things more clearly. Jane and Riley leaving had left my brain a flustered mess, and until now, everything had just flowed past me in one contiguous stream. I hadn't bothered to really think or dwell on anything, and now, I felt like I could, so I did. I let the fact that my brother and sister, whom I loved dearly, were risking their lives by going to Italy, sink in first.

Then I thought about Edward and the Thornes, about Ebony. And finally, I thought about the wolves of La Push. I'd thought of them as wolves only, not even bothering to really put names to the faces I knew aside from Raina. I was on their territory, a former enemy, and I'd hardly given them the respect I should have. And yet, what perplexed me was the reason I was here in the first place. I didn't look at Raina as I decided to ask her.

"Level with me, Raina," I said, keeping my gaze at the beauty of the ocean. "Why did you want me here? You could have invited Alice and Cynthia over with no problem. Hell, Leah could have, or anyone else the girls are friends with. I wouldn't have cared. But _you_ called, and you said it was alright for me to be here. That's never happened before. What's up?"

Raina was silent for a moment, but I didn't turn to look at her. "I was being sincere when I said that I wished for us to form some sort of alliance. The old hatreds don't matter much anymore because you Cullens have proven that not all vampires are bloodthirsty abominations that seek to destroy living beings for their own amusement. The council is mixed on it, but since none of you have ever tried to kill us before or killed an innocent in cold blood, they've given into my request. I'd like to forge a new treaty, one that allows us to walk on one another's lands."

I turned to her, stunned. "Where did this come from?"

"I've been doing a lot of thinking," Raina replied, giving me a small smile. "I think it'd be nice to work together. It would make hunting down any enemy we share much simpler, don't you agree? Although…" She bit her lip. "There is another reason for why I wanted you to come here, Bella, and that has to do with the vampire you're after. He's young in appearance, a human killer and has messy bronze hair, is that correct?" I nodded. "He's been around here."

I gaped at her. "He has?"

"Yes," she replied. "Several wolves caught a whiff of his scent and tracked him down into the forest. They caught sight of him, but only for a moment, after which, he was gone. From what I saw when they told me and what I recalled about this man, I knew in my gut that he was the one you've been after. I don't know why he was around these parts, but I don't like it, and I doubt you like it either. I think working together would be beneficial in smoking him out."

I clicked my teeth together and nodded, swallowing my anger at the knowledge that Edward had been close by without my knowing it. Had Alice not seen? No, she couldn't have, otherwise she would have mentioned it. The sneaky bastard probably figured out a way to fly under the radar without her being able to see it. Or maybe she'd had other visions instead. I didn't know, nor care why she didn't see it, what mattered was that he was near.

"He's probably going to make himself known soon," I said, growling under my breath. "The bastard. He knew your wolves were nearby and, if anything, he allowed himself to be seen so that they'd tell you. You can't underestimate him or the vampires he's working with."

"Tell me about these vampires," Raina said. "What are they capable of?"

"Edward, the one I'm after, can read minds," I said. "He can read all minds around him, in fact, because he can't shut his gift off, so your pack telepathy is probably the worst thing in the world for you and the best for him." Raina tensed up at this knowledge and I could just imagine what was going through her mind. "As far as the others go, I don't know what they're capable of as a group, but I know a few possess gifts. The blonde-haired girl is the most dangerous; she can create ice. Trust me, I found that out the hard way."

"Ice won't be enough to stop us," Raina said.

"She turned me into a giant ice cube," I said. "I'm pretty sure you're not immune to that, even if you're a lot hotter than we are. No offense."

"True enough," Raina said. "Do any of the others have abilities we should know about?"

"One can manipulate shadows, one can create barriers and the other girl is super strong," I said.

Raina nodded slowly. "I'll have to run some pack training exercises so we can better confront them if they attack us. I want to be ready." I nodded in agreement and she smiled. "Thanks for filling me in, Bella. I appreciate it."

"And thank you," I said. "Knowing that asshole is around is good, because—"

"Raina!" We both turned as a female wolf ran up to us. "We've got a problem!"

"What is it, Claire?" Raina asked.

Claire shot me a dirty look. "Her _mate_ and Jacob are fighting!"

"Fighting?" I said, and I practically surged past her as I ran towards Sue Clearwater's house, but when I poked my head inside, I didn't hear or smell Alice.

"Bella, over here!" Raina shouted, and I spun around and followed her directly behind the house, which was where I saw Jacob and Alice. I heard them, too; it was hard not to.

"I said apologize for what you called her, you son of a bitch!" Alice shouted. Her face was red and I saw Cynthia and Leah several feet behind her, Leah holding Cynthia back as Cynthia thrashed about. Jacob's three wolf friends were there, and so was Seth, but I ignored all of them as Alice lashed out to strike Jacob clean across the face. "She's not a monster, _you_ are!"

Jacob roared and Raina screamed his name, but in seconds, he exploded into a giant wolf as Alice jumped backwards. The wolf snarled, seething, and lunged at her, and I did the same, just in time for the wolf's teeth to sink into my flesh. I screamed.

**A/N: Thank you to everyone for their kind remarks. I appreciate them. Life is still being a pain, but I'm hanging in there.**

**Just a random note: this chapter was made AFTER I came back from hiatus. The reason it's so long is because I felt it wasn't good enough, so I kept going until it felt complete. For those who are waiting for the plot to return, don't worry. The plot will be back soon. As for those of you who want more fluff, I'm afraid the fluff will have to wait for a while. At the very least, this story will go a bit further than Blood Solstice did. :P**

**Oh, and for those of you who read my usually pointless notes, I'll try to update once a week from here on out. I won't specify what day because I'm trying to go alongside the schedule of how many chapters I finish. ****Thanks again.**


	55. Explanations

**Disclaimer: Twilight = Meyer. My stuff = me. *punches broken record***

**Explanations**

"Bella!" Alice screamed.

Jacob's teeth sank into my arm and I grimaced, biting back the scream of agony I wanted to let loose. I turned it into a growl instead and repeatedly socked the wolf in the face with my left hand until he was knocked backwards, allowing me the chance to rub my wounded arm. Of course, it started to patch up after a few seconds, but even so, it hurt like hell.

Jacob snarled and Raina's body exploded into wolf form, followed by Paul, who roared as he charged at me. I crouched down as several more Quileutes phased into wolves. I ignored them, however, and focused solely on Jacob, who snarled and writhed about as Raina growled right back at him. The two glared at each other, then began to roll around and fight.

_Do I help?_ I wondered, uncertain.

"Bella, look out!" Alice shouted. I whipped around and saw Paul charging towards me, but I was able to roll out of the way before his teeth could sink into my skin. Alice leapt out in front of him and threw her arms out. "Stop it! Leave her alone!"

Paul bared his teeth and lunged at her, and I hastily grabbed Alice and pulled her aside just in time as fury surged through me. He tried to attack my mate. The son of a bitch! I hissed at him as he spun around, Alice clutching at me tightly as she whispered something I didn't catch. Knowing she would get hurt if I didn't use my brain, I set her by Cynthia and Leah, then spun around and snarled at the foolish mutt, which he did right back to me. I wasn't scared.

"You'll pay for that," I said, growling.

I leapt at him and tackled him to the ground, then began pummeling the stupid wolf, the rage boiling up inside of me. Blood flew from his giant mouth, but he was able to fight me off and I hissed at him. He tried to attack my legs and I kicked him in the back of the head.

_Damn it. These wolves are sturdier than I thought and I can't use too much strength. If I hurt them, they might go after Alice and Cynthia. Leah, too. Damn!_

The sound of savage snarling caught my attention and I spun around in time to see Jacob blasting past Raina, charging directly at me. She bit his hind leg and dragged him backwards as he yelped, clawing at the ground until she flung him away like he was a pillow. I was stunned by how much power she possessed, because I'd never thought the wolves were that strong. Clearly, this proved that I was wrong about their abilities.

Paul was back on his feet again and stalking towards me, baring his teeth and glaring at me with rage-filled eyes. I readied myself for him, but before he could attack me, Jacob rammed into him and snarled, as if the only wolf who could fight me was him. He then turned to face me and shot towards me, and I wondered how many times they planned on using the same tactic.

I leapt over Jacob, spinning through the air once before landing, but Paul was there, lunging at me. Thankfully, I was able to move around him, but this time around, I grabbed hold of his tail and used all my strength to lift him into the air and slam him down to the ground. The wolf kicked at me with his massive legs, but I repeated the same motions several times.

Unfortunately, Jacob barreled into me before I could do anything more and I struggled with him as he snapped at my head, spewing his foul breath into my face. Raina slammed into him, however, and I jumped to my feet as both Jacob and Paul fell to the ground. Raina let out a guttural snarl and I assumed she was using her Alpha abilities to put them in line, but they wouldn't stop struggling against her. Jacob had the easier time.

Snarling suddenly echoed all around me and I turned to see several of the other wolves fighting with one another. Within an instant, it was mass chaos and I could hardly keep track of myself, let alone the number of wolves clawing and biting at one another. My instinct to fight was strong, but when I saw two of the wolves getting dangerously close to Alice, Cynthia and Leah, my protective instinct took over and I sped over to lift all three girls at once.

I whipped around to the other side of Leah's house, sped inside—ignoring the rudeness of it—and set them down on the couch. Alice tried to protest, but I was out of the house before she could, running right into three angry wolves. I grimaced and prepared myself, knowing that this wasn't going to end until the wolves were put back in their place by Raina.

All three barreled towards me at once and I concentrated hard, tapping into my gift. Time seemed to slow down and I sped around, rapidly pounding away at the wolves without holding back on my strength. I beat down the first wolf, then threw it into a nearby tree, then grabbed the second, kicked it repeatedly and made it so it would attack the third wolf, all before time resumed and I stopped moving, my legs throbbing from the exertion.

I felt a little wobbly at first, but I quickly steadied myself as the three wolves looked petrified of the injuries they'd received, and, sensing that they were newer, I let out the loudest roar I could, which frightened them into scattering. I smiled, but it was short lived because more wolves seemed to appear from out of nowhere. I growled at them, but they growled back and I wondered how much longer I'd be able to keep this up without getting injured.

Two wolves circled around me and lunged at once, and while I was able to dodge and backhand the one that came at my left, the one at my right was faster and sank its teeth into my forearm. The one I smacked backwards was quick to bite down on my leg and I yelped at how much pain coursed through my body. The two wolves took me down and I squirmed around, fighting them off as best as I could, fearing the worst the entire time.

Suddenly, two howls boomed in the air and the wolves attacking me stopped. I immediately threw them off and got to my feet, just in time to see a large black wolf and a large white wolf appear, shooting out of the darkness and colliding with the wolves that had attacked me.

_Who the hell…?_ I was stunned by the wolves helping me, but then I recalled that Raina mentioned some wolves that had been out patrolling. Sam and Emily, I thought.

They fought back the small number of wolves that had surrounded me until Raina appeared, joining up with them, all of them growling and snarling at the opposing side. I simply stood where I was, ready for anything, although I wasn't about to jump into the fight unless needed.

Raina and the two large wolves fought back the others, including Paul and Jacob. The black wolf helped subdue Paul while the white wolf took down four others and eventually, Raina managed to make her brother surrender. The black and white wolf drove off the others, leaving only Raina and Jacob, growling at one another. Jacob snarled and tried to snap at Raina, but she latched her teeth around his neck and he gave up entirely, then ran off.

Raina shifted back into her human form, but I was distracted when I heard the sound of footsteps and turned to see Alice standing several feet away from me, her eyes shimmering, as if she were about ready to cry. She started towards me and I opened my arms without a word.

"It's okay, Ali," I said.

Alice threw herself at me and I immediately curled my arms around her, giving her a light squeeze as she buried her face into the crook of my neck. We held each other for several minutes of silence until her rapid heart started to calm down, at which point I pressed my lips to hers. I stopped after a moment to give her a chance to catch her breath, at which point I heard a throat clear behind me. I turned to see Raina looked somewhat ragged, eyeing me.

"Thanks for the help," I said, holding Alice close.

"I'm sorry," Raina said. "Maybe this was a mistake after all." Her eyes scanned me. "How are you doing? You got bit quite a few times and I know it doesn't tickle."

"I'm fine," I said. "We heal quick too, just like you wolves do."

She nodded. "I'm going to go have a talk with the council and the wolves, my brother included. If you feel like leaving, you can. I'd understand. Damn it."

She grimaced, then walked off, leaving Alice and I alone. I sighed. "That was tense."

"I'm so sorry," Alice whispered, and I looked into her shimmering eyes as she stared back at me sorrowfully. "It's my fault. I let my temper get the best of me again and caused only problems." She sulked and hugged me. "I'm sorry, Bella. Can you ever forgive me for being a dumbass?"

I kissed her forehead. "Yes, Ali, it's okay."

"No, it's not okay," she said. "Everything was going fine, but then that jackass started to talk shit about you. He made threats against you, and he taunted Cynthia and I because we were staying with you. He did a whole lot more and I reached my boiling point. I should've been smart. I should have known that it would make him mad and it would cause a fight, but I lost it."

"Alice." I sat down and she sat beside me, staring into my eyes with her smoldering blue orbs. For a moment, I held her gaze and allowed myself to be lost in her eyes while I breathed in her rich, chocolate scent. It felt like it'd been ages since I laid my eyes upon her this way and I mentally cursed at myself for not giving her more attention.

Jane and Riley's departure had thrown me for a loop and I realized it now. Without a word, I cupped her cheeks and kissed her, pouring all the love I felt for her into the kiss. Alice seemed startled at first, but she eased into it and we began making out, ignoring everything else around us. I thought only about Alice and every single trait about her that I loved: her confidence, her happiness, her smile, her eyes, her laugh, her sense of humor, her grace, her strength.

I focused them on the physical qualities of her face as we continued to kiss, my tongue darting out to trail across her bottom lip. I loved her warmth, and the softness of her lips and how tender she was, yet there was still passion and desire. I could taste the desire as my tongue slipped into her mouth and we both moaned. Then, of course, there was her natural flavor, rich like chocolate, just like her scent. I loved it. I was practically addicted to it.

I don't know how long Alice and I made out for, nor did I really care. When we finally broke apart, I hugged Alice as tightly as I dared and we stayed that way for a while, the sound of Alice's heart echoing in my ears. Once it calmed down and I swallowed the small amount of venom that pooled into my mouth, I gently kissed Alice's damp forehead, tasting the sweetness of her sweat, then pulled away so I could look into her eyes.

"What happened was an accident," I said. "If anything, that boy was purposefully trying to provoke you, Ali. Yes, you do need to curb that temper of yours, but when it comes down to anger issues, I know I have no room to talk. Just…promise me you'll be more sensible about it next time, okay? I don't want anything to happen to you. Ever."

She nodded. "I promise."

"Good," I said.

She bit her lip and sighed. "I guess we should probably leave, huh?"

"Why should we?" I asked. "We were invited here and what happened was an accident. No one was gravely injured, and if they try to pin the blame on you, Jacob is also to blame. I have a funny feeling he did all this on purpose just to get to me. We'll leave if you really want to, but otherwise, we'll stay and show him and the other wolves that we're not going to be frightened into submission by some short-tempered punk."

Alice smiled. "You're right, Bells. You're absolutely right." She kissed me again. "I love you."

"I love you too," I replied. "Now, let's go grab your sister and have some fun."

We returned to the Clearwater house where Sue was sitting beside Leah and Cynthia, both of whom jumped up when they saw Alice and I. Cynthia hugged her sister and chastised her for scaring her to death while I watched on, smiling at Alice as she struggled to calm Cynthia down.

Eventually, Cynthia eased up and we sat together to talk about the fight with the wolves, but I was more interested in figuring out what the four of us could do together.

Despite what happened, we were determined not to let our day be ruined, so Alice, Cynthia and I—along with Leah—took to doing anything we could around La Push to have fun. We swam in the ocean, played some more volleyball, went on a hike, and more. I built a massive sand castle while the girls surfed and, despite the glares and grumbling I received, I actually had a good time. I even got into an arm wrestling match with Emily, which I barely managed to win.

Unfortunately, when we had a rematch, Emily won, and I found myself struggling in a match with Sam, Raina and one other wolf whose name I never learned. Time seemed to fly by, however, and in no time, the bonfire ceremony began.

I watched as several wolves threw logs onto the massive fire and noticed a number of humans sitting around in a large circle as food was passed out to those who wanted it. I sat between Alice and Emily, one of the few wolves that didn't outright hate me because of what I was. She was a friendly, beautiful young woman with long black hair and a scar on the right side of her face, but that was beautiful too. She smiled politely at me and I smiled back.

"It's Bella, right?" she asked.

"Yeah," I replied. "Emily?"

"You got it," she replied, shaking my hand. "You look a little uncomfortable. Is it the smell or the heat that's bothering you?" She seemed amused as she asked, but it sounded good-natured.

"A little of both," I replied and she laughed. "What's the ceremony about, by the way?"

"A mixture of things," Emily replied. "We hold bonfires to represent the past victories we've achieved, the losses we've endured, our pride as Quileutes and as shifters for those of us with wolf blood running through our veins and, all in all, to show that we will forever endure whatever hardship we face. Our bodies burn with fires that will never be put out."

I nodded slowly as I soaked that in. "Befitting."

She chuckled. "Yeah, the whole temper thing isn't usually mentioned."

We chatted for a few minutes, then I turned to Alice, who was staring at the fire with interest. I stared at the massive fire and wondered how many wolves wanted to throw me into it. I knew there had to be a good few, but I shook the thought away before I could pay too much attention to it. Alice took my hand and gave it a squeeze and I smiled at her, loving the way her eyes shimmered as they reflected the orange glow of the blaze.

"I'm sorry I've been so distant today," I whispered.

"I'm sorry for the way I've been acting," she replied, kissing my cheek. "But I don't want to hear anymore apologies from you, Bells, because you haven't really done anything. You've been distracted with what happened with Jane and Riley. That's fine."

"It's no excuse," I said, wrapping my arm around her. "I should—"

"Excuse me," Raina said, walking over to us. "I'm sorry for interrupting, but I was wondering if I could speak to Alice for a moment?" She looked between us. "It won't be long, I promise."

Alice and I looked at each other and she nodded. "Sure. Be right back, Bella."

They sauntered off and I turned to Cynthia, who was staring down at the sand. "Hey, Cynthia."

Cynthia blinked and looked up at me. "Oh, hi, Bella. What's up?"

"Not a whole lot," I said. "How are you doing? Did you enjoy yourself today?"

"Yeah," she replied. "I mean, aside from sweating bullets when Alice got into an argument with Jacob, but then you showed up and…" She ran a hand through her hair. "I was freaked out, I won't lie, but I'm beyond thankful that everything worked out. Thank you, by the way, for getting us out of there. Leah had to hold me a in a vice grip to prevent me from beating the shit out of that wolf for threatening her like that. Bastard."

"I'm glad you feel that way," I said, smirking. "Are you and Leah getting along well?"

"Definitely," she replied. "Leah's awesome."

I tilted my head to the side. "Are you blushing, Cynthia?"

Cynthia's eyes bulged. "W-what? No, I'm n-not."

"Yes you are."

"No, I'm not." She scowled. "You're imagining things, Bella. Besides, I, oh, hey, Alice is back."

Alice and Raina returned at that moment and I stood up to pull Alice into a hug. She kissed both my cheeks, then sat down and I turned my gaze to Raina, who had a placid expression on her face. I turned back to go and join Alice when I felt a hand touch my shoulder.

"Bella, may I speak to you?" Raina asked. I glanced back at Alice and Cynthia, who were sitting side by side, cuddling. I smiled at the tender gesture, then turned back to Raina, who nodded. "Don't worry, Sam and Emily will keep an eye on them."

I turned again to the two wolves I'd met earlier, who each nodded. "Okay," I said.

Raina led me away from the bonfire into a small house, closing the door behind me when we'd entered. It was a nice looking home despite the smell, with several photographs lining the walls and comfy looking furniture. I figured right away that only Raina lived here seeing as it wasn't large enough to fit more then one person for an extended period of time.

"Nice place," I said.

"Thanks," Raina replied, sitting down. She gestured for me to do the same, which I did. "I'm surprised the three of you stuck around after what happened, but I'm rather glad you did."

I chuckled. "Pride probably has a lot to do with it."

"I know how that works," Raina said. "Believe me."

"What did you want to talk about?" I asked, appraising her curiously. "It seems you've been rather adamant on talking with me in private, not that I mind."

"I wanted to talk about my brother," she replied, sighing. "I can't apologize enough for it to both you and your mate for what happened. I even called your coven leaders."

I gaped. "You what?"

"I called them and told them about what happened," she replied. "Your mother was pissed, to put it lightly, but your father was able to calm her down. I explained that the three of you were still staying and they asked that I promise not to let anything happen to any of you, which I did."

_I hope they haven't told Rosalie and the others_, I thought, biting my lip. Rosalie would want to go to war for what happened and I didn't want that, regardless of how I felt about some of the wolves. Most of them were on our side, or at least trying to be, and I refused to let the alliance we were forming to be broken over something petty.

"We worked things out," Raina said. "There's no reason to worry."

"You say that now, but when my siblings find out…" I shook my head. "I'll keep them from doing anything drastic, I promise. They're very protective of me because they feel that I'm the 'heart' of the family, which I'm not. I'm just upset that your brother openly threatened my mate. He could have hurt her and her sister, as well as Leah, another human and one of your own."

"I spoke with the council about my brother's actions," Raina said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "That fool is being grounded for three months, banned from phasing, banned from leaving La Push and he's losing a number of other privileges for quite some time. Paul is receiving similar punishments for openly trying to attack a human, and the other wolves that disobeyed me each get their own punishment as well. All that and for what? Nothing!"

I grimaced at the underlying anger in her voice. "I probably shouldn't have come today, Raina. Had Alice and Cynthia come alone, the temptation wouldn't have been there."

"No, it would have been there regardless," Raina said. "Jacob would have been even more smug about it had you not been around, because he would think their protector was absent. He clearly didn't grasp the concept that the rest of us weren't going to put up with him openly threatening humans. He should know better by now, damn it."

Hearing that angered me and I got up immediately. The knowledge that the wolf would have openly threatened my mate and her sister regardless of my presence pissed me off, and I wasn't going to stand idly by and take that.

"Who does he think he is?" I asked, growling. "They're humans! Innocent humans!"

I wanted to hit something, but I didn't, because this wasn't my house and the I did not want to push Raina over the edge by accident. She seemed fairly calm, however, despite the anger that briefly flashed across her face. I remained standing until my anger subsided, although I didn't sit down then, either. I stared off into space for a moment, gathering my thoughts until a question formed in my mind, one that I decided to direct at Raina.

"Why does he hate us so much?" I asked. "I know we're vampires and you're wolves, but he has so much animosity toward us and we never did anything to him. We've never threatened your pack or killed your human tribe members…nothing like that!" I shook my head in frustration. I was trying my best not to be furious, because I knew it wasn't Raina's fault. "Do you know, Raina?" I stopped and turned to face her as she stared at the floor. "May _I _know?"

Raina sighed. "Please, sit. I'll explain." I sat down several feet from her immediately and gave her my full attention. "I'll have to go back to some years ago, during the time when you and your family had yet to return to Forks. I'd say…twenty five years ago, at the most, back when our father was a shifter and our mother was still alive. She had shifter blood in her, too. And believe it or not, Jacob was an entirely different person. He was goofy, sweet and funny.

"Back then, the pack was much smaller. There were our parents, myself, Sam, Emily, Harry Clearwater, the father to Seth and Leah, two other women and one other male. As you can see, a good portion of them are no longer with us and the event I'm about to tell you about will explain everything." She grimaced and bit down on her bottom lip. "You see, there was a small band of vampires that had made a home somewhere in Washington. We'd seen the reports of disappearances in the paper, and we'd been informed by another pack about their presence."

"There are other packs?" I asked, surprised.

Raina nodded. "Yes, many. Some are Native American tribes infused with the wolf gene in their blood, but there are other packs, too. I know of a French-Canadian pack in Manitoba, three Caucasian packs spread around America, a pack in Mexico and I've heard rumors that there are many in the other continents, including one in Antarctica of all places." She made a face, then shrugged. "Anyways, this coven comprised of six vampires, all human killers."

"Sorry for the interruption," I whispered, and Raina waved it off. "Continue, please."

"My father was the Alpha of the pack, my mother the Beta and I the Gamma," she continued. "After a month of hearing about this coven, Jacob phased and I took him under my wing. I helped him cope with his sudden transformation and trained him how to hunt and fight, because I knew when the time came, he'd be out there with the rest of us, fighting these vampires if they dared threaten our land. My mother wanted us to go after them even though they weren't on our land, however. She saw them as a danger to every human in Washington. The rest of us agreed.

"Another month later, the plan we'd come up with backfired because the vampire coven had actually come to Forks. Specifically, they came to our land to make their presence known. Apparently, they knew about us, or at the very least, that we existed, but they didn't know what we were or what we were all about. We drove them from our land and then explained what we were and what we did. My father gave them a choice: leave Washington, or stay, but if they stayed, they had to avoid killing humans. The vampires laughed at us."

"I'm not surprised," I said. "There are always those jackasses who prefer to kill humans for their own sick, twisted reasons. What did you end up doing about them?"

"My mother, angered by their mocking and the threats they made, killed one of the vampires in their coven," she replied. "It showed that we were serious about our offer and they stopped laughing immediately. They snarled at us and we thought we were going to get into a fight then and there, but they turned and fled as my mother and another wolf burned the remains of the vampire she'd killed. We didn't see or hear from them for several months, so we assumed, if anything, that they'd fled Washington out of fear. How arrogant we were to think that.

"Five months after their disappearance, we discovered a small pile of bodies on the outskirts of our land. Apparently, the vampires had returned and somehow found a way to kill some of our own tribesmen without our knowing. The council was infuriated and we were infuriated, too, especially Jacob, because two of his friends had been killed. He thought we should go after them and kill them without remorse, but our parents thought against it. They knew that was what they wanted and we decided to form a new plan. Well, everyone except Jacob.

"The fool ignored everything we said to him and rushed off that night. I only found out because I went into his room to talk to him and saw that it was empty. I was pissed off and terrified at the same time, but I knew I had to hurry to find and stop him." She sighed. "He was already nearing the borders of Canada by the time I caught up to him. I was stronger and faster than he was, so I had no trouble tackling him to the ground. And since I was Gamma, I could pin him down. Somewhat." She paused and glanced at me. "He had that same blood in him that I did, after all."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"The Black family has always been in charge of our pack somehow," Raina said. "Whether it was a man or a woman, if they were a Black, they had Alpha blood in them, but if they were lower in rank to another Black, their blood's effects were lessened. Since Jacob was new, he had no rank, so, in a way, he was at the bottom of the barrel in our pack. And yet, the dominant wolf blood flowed through him and he was able to fight off my control to a degree."

"Hold on a moment, I'm not sure I fully understand," I said, frowning. "You say all Blacks posses this special blood, is that right?" She nodded. "And through your blood, you have the abilities of natural born leaders, correct?" She nodded again. "But if a Black is subordinated to another, their 'Alpha blood' is diminished slightly, yet they can still resist to obey?"

"Yes," she replied. "When a wolf is Alpha, they have the ability to give out absolute orders, which is, in a way, forcing their pack members to obey them. It's not something we enjoy doing, but at times, it's a necessary evil. However, when a wolf is given a rank or if a wolf possesses that special kind of blood as we Blacks do, they have a greater will to resist the absolution of the orders given. They can ignore us or fight us, as you saw Jacob do today."

I nodded slowly. "Now I think I understand."

Raina went back to her story. "Jacob and I fought for what felt like several hours. He refused to listen to me despite my repeated attempts. He wanted to kill the vampires, to prove that he was worthy of being the next Alpha. Instead, our fighting caused us to nearly die because the damned vampires had found us. And there were more of them now. I'll skip the grittier details and simply come out with it: they killed my mother and the wolves I mentioned were once with us.

"It was bloody, brutal and we barely escaped with our lives." Raina's eyes fell to the floor. "It changed everything. Jacob became bitter, angry and resentful towards me and our father. He loathed vampires because of what happened, and I think deep down, he loathed himself, too. As for my father, he quit being a wolf after that. As for me…I felt guilty for what happened and blamed myself for years, even after I became the new Alpha. Jacob hated me for that, too.

"That is the underlying reason why Jacob hates your kind. As for why he hates your family, it's because he can't kill you. You and your family aren't like the vampires that slaughtered our mother and nearly killed us, and that pisses him off more than anything. Times are changing for us. It's a slow change, but it's a change nonetheless. It's better than the way things were for us back then and even after. I just wish…" She stopped then and I hesitantly reached out to her.

"You don't have to continue," I whispered, touching her shoulder. "Thank you for sharing."

She offered me a small smile. "It's not entirely his fault that he feels the way he does. Our old ways and the things we've gone through have a hand in melding the thought process of the wolves in this pack, both new and old. It took me a long time to get to the point that I'm at right now. Before, I was more like my brother. Angry, bitter, close-minded. But I've learned from my mistakes and I know how to be level headed about things now."

"Do you think your brother will ever reach that point?" I asked.

"I'm not sure," she replied. "After the death of our mother and the accident that caused our father to be paralyzed, which also involved a vampire, Jacob's bitterness has only doubled in size. Even when your family leaves Forks, I doubt Jacob will change much. He's too spiteful. He doesn't listen to me, our father, or anyone else for that matter. Sometimes I worry…"

I frowned. "That he'll charge off to kill us?"

"No," she said, shaking her head. "Well, that thought does cross my mind, but that's not what I'm mainly concerned about." She paused and glanced around. "I probably shouldn't be telling this to you, but I will regardless: I worry he'll go rogue and break away from us for good. I've heard his thoughts when we were in wolf form, but he didn't know I was there. He's considered breaking away, taking the wolves that dislike your family with him and running around to slaughter any vampire he comes across, without any purpose. He'd do it, too."

"Have you spoken to your father about this?" I asked.

"Not yet," Raina replied. "I'm fearful that he'll tell Jacob and Jacob will break away out of anger at both of us. I'm telling you this to warn you, and because I trust that you won't use this information to attack Jacob. He may piss me off and he may not be the same boy he used to be, but he's still my little brother, and I love him. I think deep down, he loves me, but his anger has clouded his true feelings and covered them up entirely."

"I understand," I said. "I promise I won't tell anyone. But…" I narrowed my eyes. "I won't hesitate to fight him if he tries to hurt my mate again, or anyone in my family. I won't kill him, but there's no way in hell that I'm going to stand idly by if he attacks us."

"Nor would I expect you to," she said, sighing. "I don't know what to do about him. He won't listen to me regardless of what I say, but I still wish…" She trailed off and stood up. "Anyways, I just wanted to explain things to you. Forgive me for keeping you so long. We should get back to the bonfire before the ceremony itself starts, unless it already did."

"It's no big deal," I said, standing. "Shall we?"

She nodded and we headed back outside and I was stunned by the sheer size of the bonfire now. Many Quileutes surrounded it and I spotted Raina's father sitting in his wheelchair beside a sulking Jacob, who refused to acknowledge anyone or anything, even me. I passed him without a word and seated myself beside Alice and Cynthia, wrapping my arm around Alice once more.

After a moment, Billy Black cleared his throat and spoke. "Tonight is a special night for many reasons, my sons and daughters. It marks the anniversary of when the wolf protectors of La Push and her people came into existence so many years ago, and the anniversary of the event that changed our ways years later. It is special because of what it stands for, for the wolves that guard us and the humans around them, for the council who make their decisions and for those of you who continue to be strong and proud, even without the blood of a wolf within you.

"And it is special because we have within our midst three outsiders, but they will never again be deemed outsiders, for they are our allies and, in some ways, family. One of the Cullens, the clan of vampires who came to us and forged peace when they could have decimated our numbers, has joined us this night, and with her, two humans who will soon join their ranks. Years ago, this would have been deemed a breach of the treaty we forged, but times are changing."

He paused and offered me a smile and I smiled back as Alice kissed my cheek. "Now, let us push aside our prejudice and bias, my sons and daughters, and let us celebrate!"

The people around us shouted and raised their fists and thus, the celebration began. It all seemed like a whirlwind to me, but I remembered the food and drink, the singing and dancing, the music, the play wrestling, games and some kissing too. Maybe it was my imagination, but I swore I caught sight of Leah kissing Cynthia. I wasn't sure even as we left the beach and headed to my car. I felt like I was in a daze, and the wine I'd drank hadn't helped.

Alice and Cynthia were tired and worn out from the day's events. I practically had to carry them to the car, but I didn't mind. Once I made certain they were buckled in, they fell asleep and I remained outside for a moment, staring up at the full moon as I reflected on what happened.

The celebration had been wonderful. There was energy all around and even though some of it was hostile towards me, most people didn't care. Wolves and humans danced with me, which made Alice jealous, but overall, it was fun. I participated in games, demonstrated what skill with instruments that I had—nothing compared to the Quileutes, of course—and wrestled a few times with friendly wolves who were graceful winners and losers.

And now that I thought about it, I _**did**_ recall seeing Leah kiss Cynthia, right on the lips. The blush I'd seen on Cynthia's face and the look in her eyes had made me double over in laughter, and Alice, despite being busy at the time, laughed too. I was certain Alice would give her sister hell for it tomorrow, but for now, rest was what they needed. I was content with the day. Despite the fact that I stunk of food and wolf, I thought it went down well.

"Hey, bloodsucker!" The voice jarred my thoughts and I turned to see Jacob standing several feet away. He glared at me for a moment, then turned his gaze to the ground. "I'm sorry for…what I said and did earlier." He sounded bitter and his words seemed forced. I figured he'd been ordered to apologize to me. "Tell that girl I apologize."

"Her name is Alice," I replied, keeping my tone neutral. "And very well."

His jaw clenched. "This isn't over, leech. Not by a long shot."

Without a word, he burst into a wolf and dashed away, leaving me silently staring into the trees. I sighed and shook my head as I opened my car door and slid in. I didn't doubt his threat. He would find a way to come after my family and I again, I knew it. And while I didn't want to kill him because of Raina's kindness, if he hurt anyone I loved…

_He'll pay the price._

**A/N: ****And voila. Sorry for the wait. I was busy. With...stuff. **

**Okay, no excuses. I've decided to release a collection of short stories in the future, and I've been working on those in between BA chapters. I said every week and I broke it already, and for that, I apologize. Life is...rough, though. Let's just say that my mom and I are in debt. And not the good kind. If there is a good kind. Suffice to say, I'll try to keep it within a week/two weeks. I apologize for changing it, but it's better that way, I think.**

**Of course, these chapters are already done. From this to fifty eight. Done. Why wait, you ask? To space it out. If I gave you all the chapters at once, I'd need a lot of time to give you more. So...yeah, breaking it up sounds better to me. I hope that makes sense.**

**All that said, take care and I'll see you next time. Bad things happen. Sad things happen, too. **


	56. Warning

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Twilight, Meyer does. I own only my ideas and characters.

**Warning**

"You stink," Rosalie said after I'd carried an exhausted Alice and Cynthia to their room. Rosalie was waiting for me in the hallway, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed and her nose wrinkled in disgust. "You smell worse than I thought possible, Belly-Button."

"Gee, thanks," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Well, it's true," she said, shrugging. "Go take a shower, then we'll talk."

I sighed and silently brushed past her, knowing she was right. If I didn't shower, I'd reek for hours and my siblings wouldn't shut up about it. Plus, I couldn't stand the smell either. I stripped out of my clothes and tossed them into the hallway, knowing Rosalie would likely grab them and throw them into the washing machine, then stepped into the shower and turned the hot water on.

I lost track of how much time I spent showering, scrubbing every inch of my body three times over and washing my hair at least four. When I finished, I exited the shower and dried off quickly, but before I left, I took a moment to glance at my reflection. I saw the bite marks left over in my skin from where the wolves had bitten me and grimaced at how prominent they seemed. I didn't know the marks would remain for this long.

_I should go hunting soon_, I thought. _Blood will fix it._

With a sigh, I sped out of the bathroom into my room, quick enough where no one would see me running around naked. Once I was in my room, I slipped into new clothes, then exited and headed downstairs into the family room. Rosalie was the only one present, but I could smell the lingering scents of my other family members. I wondered where they ran off to.

"So, how was your visit to La Push?" Rosalie asked as I sat beside her.

I shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know how to describe it. It was better than I thought it would be and worse at the same time. But Alice and Cynthia had fun, so I'm happy for that much." I scooted closer to her and she wrapped her arm around me. "Where's everyone else?"

"Carlisle and Esme were summoned to the hospital and the others are out hunting," she replied, kissing my cheek. "For now, it's just you and me, little sister. So tell me, what happened?"

I told her everything, from the hostility to what Raina told me to the fight with the wolves where I was bitten several times. Rosalie growled at that, and I felt her grip tighten slightly when I brought up Jacob's threats, but she said nothing until I was finished telling her the full story.

"I want that mutt's name," Rosalie said in a low, threatening voice.

"No, Rose," I said. "I promised Raina we wouldn't do anything to him. He's just a young fool filled with bitterness. I doubt he'll make good on his threats any time soon."

"And what if he does?" Rosalie asked. "What if he attacks us? Are we supposed to avoid killing him because we want to stay on his sister's good side?"

I grimaced. "That's…"

"See?" She looked at me, and her eyes had darkened slightly. "I don't like that, Bella. I don't like knowing he could rip away from their pack at any given moment and take all the wolves he wanted with him. I get that there are decent wolves, and I'm fine with being allies with them and not causing trouble, but I refuse to sit on my ass with the knowledge that there are wolves only a hair away from tearing us into pieces. We have to do something."

"You're right," I whispered. "But what?"

"I don't know," she replied. "I'll talk with Esme and Carlisle when they return. We'll probably have a family meeting to discuss it, and that includes Alice and Cynthia. Worst case scenario, we could always just move to a new town and start over. I hate moving, but I'd rather do that then have to look over my shoulder in fear that those stinking mongrels will try and kill us simply because we're vampires. It's not our fault vampires made them suffer."

"They do have some bias in them, sure, but are we any different?" I asked. "Before, we hated them because of what they were and they'd never done anything to use but stink and make some snide remarks. Now, Raina wants peace and I really want to give her that. I'm tired of the racist hatred between our groups, Rose. Besides, if Edward shows up again…"

"We don't need their help to face him," Rosalie said firmly. "But…I understand where you're coming from. I don't know, though. We should wait for the others to discuss what to do."

"Let's change subjects," I said, sighing.

"Fine by me," Rosalie replied. "So, did you and Alice get into any raunchy fun?" She playfully elbowed me and wiggled her eyebrows. "She looked pretty out of it, Belly-Button. Giving the human a nice big orgasm, huh? C'mon, don't be shy."

I gaped at her. "Rose! Honestly!"

"What?" she asked, fluttering her eyes at me. "I can't help it. Did you do anything?"

"We made out," I said, shaking my head. "Leave it at that."

She snickered and kissed me on the mouth. "You need a sex life, Bella. It will make you feel a thousand times better, trust me. I know Alice is human, but you've gotten better at controlling yourself and I'm fairly certain you know how to pleasure a woman, so…why not?"

"Now doesn't feel like the time," I replied, staring down at the table. "It's not like I don't want to, but…I mean, I haven't really thought much on it and…" I sighed. "I don't know, Rose."

"Worried?" she asked.

"A little," I admitted.

Rosalie chuckled and patted my shoulder. "Oh, Bella, you're hilarious."

I groaned and gave her a light elbow to the side. "Forget this. I'm going to go listen to music…"

"Shut up," Rosalie said, pulling me into a loving hug. "You love me, you _know_ you do."

I sighed, but didn't argue with her point, and we settled into a nice conversation until our siblings returned from hunting and we talked about what had happened at La Push. Needless to say, none of them were pleased with the fact that I'd gotten into a fight, but I tried to urge them against going to La Push since there was no need. In the end, they agreed and we talked about the idea of peace with the wolves until Carlisle and Esme returned from work early in the morning.

Esme greeted me with a powerful hug. "I'm so relieved that you're okay, dear."

I hugged her back. "Thanks, Mom."

Carlisle hugged me as well, then they sat down. "What happened at La Push, Bella?"

I explained everything that went down, including Raina's admittance that Jacob had the potential to break away and lead the wolves who hated us against us if he wanted to, but I also talked about the fact that Raina wanted true peace between us and to form stronger bonds.

"I like this idea," Carlisle said. "Although, we will be leaving within the next few years, especially if we intend to turn Alice and Cynthia. Still, it would be best if we left on a good note rather than a bitter one. However, I'm concerned about this young man's desire to kill us because of what we are. I understand his reasoning for despising vampires, but for him to want to throw himself at us to appease a grudge feels a bit foolish."

"If he does try to attack us, we can't promise there won't be consequences," Esme said. "I refuse to sit around and allow a wolf, however young he may be, try and kill my family, regardless of what he's suffered in his life. It's tragic what happened to his mother and the incident with his father, but we didn't cause those accidents. We are not to blame, but his own sister fears he will never be able to see things this way. That worries me."

"So we kick his ass, we just don't kill him," Emmett said.

"And he'll just keep coming," Victoria said. "I doubt he'll stop until he's dead or we're dead."

"I don't plan on dying any time soon," Rosalie said, scoffing.

"What about moving?" I asked.

"There's no guarantee he won't follow," Jasper replied. "It depends on how much of a grudge the wolf has in him, I suppose. He may give up eventually if we leave."

"There's no way to know for certain," Rosalie said.

I sighed. "So what do we do?"

"I feel that, for now, we should try to keep the peace," Carlisle said. "All in favor?"

Jasper, Carlisle, Esme and I raised our hands without question while Rosalie, Emmett and Victoria remained hesitant to do so. I also knew that Alice and Cynthia had a say in this since they were part of the family, but they were still sleeping and I didn't want to wake them up.

"We can wait until Alice and Cynthia are awake to make an official decision," Esme suggested.

"I need to think it over," Rosalie mumbled, standing.

She and Emmett left for upstairs and after a moment, everything settled down. Victoria and Jasper began to play a game of chess while Carlisle and Esme departed for upstairs, and I remained where I was, deciding that I needed blood in me. I left the house without a word and sped off into the forest, enjoying the sensation of the light breeze against my skin as I sniffed the air, searching for something close by so I wouldn't have to travel far.

I caught a whiff of several smaller woodland creatures, so I decided to make them my meal. It was a group of three raccoons, of all things, and I was quick to drain them of their blood. That wasn't much, however, so I looked around for something else until I happened upon a deer. It was a lone buck and the moment it saw me, it tried to take off, but I pounced on it before it could get too far and sank my teeth into its neck. It was dead in no time.

The soreness I'd felt dissipated and, overall, I felt much better, so I turned around and headed back to the house. Several hours later, I went upstairs to see if Alice was awake since I was beginning to suffer from boredom and I wanted to check in on her.

I poked my head inside their room quietly and saw the sisters cuddling in bed, which was extremely cute to see. Suddenly, they both shifted and Alice sat up, lazily turning her head in my direction until our eyes met. She smiled and motioned for me to come in, which I did so, though I was certain to move without noise so I didn't wake up Cynthia.

"Hey," she whispered.

I sat down on the side of Alice's bed and stared into her eyes. "How do you feel?"

"Good," she replied, smiling. "And you?"

I shrugged. "I've felt better, but I can't complain too much." I ran a hand through my hair, then ducked down to press my lips to hers before I glanced at Cynthia. "How's your sister?"

Alice poked her sister in the belly, making Cynthia squirm slightly and giggle. "A very sound sleeper, but she'll be up in an hour." Alice rolled out of bed and within a few minutes the two of us had exited their room and were heading downstairs, Alice still in her PJs with her hair messy and beyond sexy to look at. She yawned and I smiled at how her shirt rode up to expose her stomach slightly. "Damn. I still feel a little tired after yesterday."

"You did quite a bit," I said. "I'm sure the drinking and partying only added onto that."

She rolled her eyes. "I didn't drink that much. Only a little bit. Now Cynthia, _she _was tipsy."

"I carried both of you back to the car," I said, smirking. "I'm pretty sure that makes your argument moot, Ali. But as long as you enjoyed yourself, that's all that matters to me."

She huffed. "Whatever." Then she wrapped her arms around me. "Were you hurt last night?"

"A little," I said. "But I'll be fine. I hunted before I came to visit you."

"That doesn't matter," Alice said. "You still got hurt and it's my fault."

"Alice, forget it," I said as we sat down in the family room. "I told you before that it was okay, so please, don't keep beating yourself up. What's done is done. Now, how's about we watch some TV, huh? Nothing eases the troubles of yesterday better than mindless television."

"Where'd you hear that?" Alice asked, giggling.

I shrugged. "I have no clue, honestly."

"You're silly, Bella," she replied, snuggling with me as I turned the TV on.

We spent about four hours watching TV together, Emmett, Rosalie and Cynthia eventually joining us. Alice and Cynthia both ate and after a while, we began playing video games together as a family, taking turns and switching off games depending on who won the most of whatever number rounds there were. It was tons of fun and I was relieved to see Alice as happy as she was while she creamed us in whatever game we were playing. That girl was _competitive_.

But after two hours of video game playing, Alice stopped what she was doing as her eyes glazed over suddenly and I watched as she stared forward blankly, knowing it was a vision, and so we all waited patiently for her to snap out of it. While I waited, I wondered what her visions were like. How'd they feel? How did they look? How did they play out?

_Maybe I'll ask sometime_, I thought, tapping my fingers while I waited. Eventually, Alice came out of her vision and when she did, she was frowning. For a moment, she didn't say anything and I worried something was wrong, so I waved a hand in front of her face.

"Alice?" I said. "You okay?"

She blinked. "I saw a vampire. Red eyes, black hair…I think his name is Dante?"

"Dante?" Victoria said, shooting up. "What did you see?"

"I saw him walking and…wait."

Her eyes glazed over again and the room quieted down as my siblings all focused their attention on Alice. Alice's facial expressions began to shift drastically, starting with a look of confusion, followed by shock, then fear. She remained locked in her vision for several minutes and I started to become worried. Her visions normally didn't last this long, and even when I felt a calming blanket wrap around me via Jasper, it didn't do much to ease my concern.

"Ali?" Cynthia nudged her, and I saw the worry in her eyes.

"Holy shit," Alice said after she'd snapped out of her vision. She was stunned. "He's…dead."

"What?!" Victoria shouted, blurring over to Alice. "What the fuck do you mean?!"

"Easy, Tori," Jasper said, standing up to place his hand on her shoulder. "Alice, could you go from the beginning and explain to us what you saw?"

Alice nodded and I squeezed her hand. "First, I saw him walking in an alleyway. He was moving quickly, but still at a human pace and I saw him carrying something in his hand, a note of some kind, I think. Anyways, he was walking and then he stopped and hid the note in the wall. I swore I heard him say 'I hope you see this, seer,' and then he ran off. What I saw next was him in a different location, staring down three vampires I didn't recognize. They killed him."

Victoria looked stunned. "Didn't he fight?"

"Yes," Alice replied. "He managed to kill one of them, but the other two got the upper hand and they burned him into ashes. One of them said 'Asher and Nikala send their regards.'" She paused and looked up at Victoria. "I'm sorry, Victoria. It happened so quickly, I didn't get a chance to tell you. I think he left that note for us, though. It's obvious he meant me when he said 'seer.'"

"How do you figure that?" Emmett asked.

"Who else can see the future around here?" Alice asked.

Emmett shrugged. "No one that I know of."

"So he left a note knowing you would see it," Cynthia said. "And then…he dies?"

"Asher and Nikala must have found out that he was betraying them," Victoria said. Her voice sounded distant as she stared at the wall. "Son of a bitch…"

"Do you know anything about the location of this note?" Jasper asked.

Alice frowned. "Well, I know it's an alleyway of some kind, but…" She was silent and pursed her lips. "I think…Port Angeles? I saw a sign that said Port Angeles on it before it flashed to him moving around. I don't know where exactly, though. My vision didn't specify. Sorry."

The room fell quiet and I looked at Victoria, who had yet to move from where she stood. After a moment, she mumbled something under her breath and ran upstairs. Jasper hesitated before following after her and I wondered what to think. Dante hadn't been our ally, and yet, he'd given us information on the coven he was a part of. So, in a way, we owed him. And now…

"We should find that note," I said.

"It could be a trap," Rosalie replied.

"Then why kill the guy?" Emmett asked.

"Damned if I know," Rosalie said, shrugging. "He was probably a liability to them and he did give us information against them. It might be part of some plan they have that we don't know about. Hell, they may be in league with the Volturi or something. Or maybe he's working for that asshole Edward and this is or was his idea." She shook her head. "Too many things to think about and I don't like it. But, as I'm not anyone's master, if you think we should go…"

"That's up to Victoria," I said. "She knew him better than the rest of us and, if anything, the note he left is for her, right?" I frowned and glanced at Alice, who nodded in agreement.

Victoria suddenly reappeared in the family room, Jasper beside her. "I'm going."

"Me too," Jasper said.

"Mind if I come?" I asked.

"Sure," Victoria replied, turning on her heel and disappearing out the door.

I kissed Alice, then jumped up and ran after her along with Jasper. "Is she okay?"

"Her emotions are all over the place," Jasper said quickly. "I don't think she's okay, no. I don't want to interfere when it's something personal like this, even though I am a bit tempted, I'll admit. I won't, though. I do, however, know that she's upset. Very, very upset. I'm not sure she and Dante were close, but given what he did for us, she's not taking his death well."

"You two know I can hear you, right?" Victoria called over her shoulder.

We were racing through the woods at our usual speeds, since we could run faster than drive. I could hear the tension in Victoria's voice as she spoke, so I kept my mouth shut as we raced ahead, and I started to wonder how the Thornes had found out about Dante, or if he was truly dead right now. Alice's visions showed the future, after all, but was it the immediate future that she saw? I hadn't thought to ask her, and it was too late now.

I thought about the vampires who had killed Dante. One was dead, but the other two were alive, but Alice didn't know who they were. Maybe they knew about Alice's abilities. Maybe they knew what Dante had been doing beforehand. Rosalie was right: it could be a trap, or worse. I didn't like thinking about it, but it was true. And yet, here we were, rushing in blind.

"We'll be okay, Bella," Jasper said. "The three of us are skilled fighters, remember?"

I shrugged. "That may not be enough, Jazz."

"We'll be fine," Victoria said. "Don't forget my gift."

No one spoke after that and after around ten minutes, we were in Port Angeles and we began to search around for alleyways where we could pick up Dante's scent. I vaguely remembered it, so I was mostly going off of Victoria's nose. That and we were seeing if we could pick up the scent of the unknown vampires who had attacked him.

It wasn't long before Victoria froze. "Found it. This way."

Jasper and I followed her into a narrow alleyway and I could smell the lingering scent that I knew belonged to Dante. Victoria was silent as she began searching for the part of the wall where Dante had hid the note, and just when I was about to suggest to Jasper that we help, she found it. There was a small chunk of the wall with a large enough crack in it to fit the note in, and once Victoria pulled it out, Jasper and I moved closer to her.

"What does it say, Tori?" I asked as she opened it.

She read it and frowned. "The Thornes are planning an attack soon." Victoria growled and crumpled the note up, her eyes darkening until they were coal black. "That dumbass died telling us that they were going to attack us? That's it? What the fuck?!" She slammed her fist into the wall, creating a massive crater that sent a loud shockwave rippling through the area. "That idiot! What was he thinking?! That doesn't tell us anything!"

"Victoria…" Jasper said, grimacing.

She was seething and said nothing as she let the crumpled up paper fall to the ground. I bent down and picked it up, then un-crumpled it to read it in full, to see if there was more. At first, all I saw were the words Victoria had read us: **The Thornes are planning an attack soon**. I frowned and studied the note, because it did seem strange that Dante would write so little before being killed. Did he know he had only a little bit of time? No, that made no sense.

He was a vampire and we could write quickly, even if we knew there was danger approaching. There was no excuse for it, unless Dante was trying to mess with us and his death was actually staged. Why else would there be so little? Was this just a set up? A joke? An insult?

Just as I was about to tear the note up, however, I noticed something on the other side and turned it over. There was more written, quite a bit in fact, but it was small, so small that I doubted I would have noticed had I not bothered to glance at the other side of the piece of paper. I narrowed my eyes and scanned the words:

_Cullen,_

_I don't know which of you will read this first, but I imagine it will be Victoria. Regardless, I don't have a whole lot of time, so I'm writing this small and hurried just in case. If this fails, then there's no point, but I'm hoping I can be quick enough to avoid that problem._

_The Thornes are plotting something and it's soon. I can't give an exact time or place, but I imagine it will be within the next few days given what I overheard. They sounded urgent, and they knew I wasn't there. The mind reader, Edward, wasn't among them and I've been able to listen in on their conversations without their knowledge before, I'm positive of it. _

_Regardless, they see your coven as a threat. They know about the girl who can see the future now and they also know about the shapeshifters. Edward told us all about it the other day, and I feel that I should warn you that Nikala and Asher are not pleased with this information. They'll likely try to make a move against the shifters, so if you consider them allies, warn them. Otherwise, be on your guard. They want you dead and as soon as possible._

_I can't write too much more. I know they're onto me betraying them, so I'm writing this note in hopes that the human will foresee this at some point. I'm writing this in small print just in case, although if I die before I can hide it, it won't matter. Regardless, I feel that I should tell you that the Thornes have been looking into creating new vampires for their coven to bolster their numbers, and that they don't know two of your own have left. I do, but I did not say anything._

_Time is short. I'm writing this as I move, because I caught wind of unfamiliar scents closing in on me. I'm not the best fighter, truth be told, and I can tell there are more than one. If I die, I die regretting my decision to ever join the Thorne coven. They are liars, schemers, manipulators and they care only about themselves. And by 'they,' I mean Nikala and Asher. No one else matters._

_Should the worst happen, tell Victoria that her sister is alive. It is because of her sister that I turned over a new leaf in the first place. _

_Damn. Have to stop writing and focus on moving. Sorry, Victoria. Your sister lives. She's in England right now. She's searching for you, but in hiding right now. Others are after her. I don't know who. Use this information. Kill the Thornes and Edward. And I'm sorry._

I was stunned when I finished reading the small text and when I saw Victoria start to walk away, I grabbed onto her arm to stop her. She turned to stare at me with distant eyes and I struggled to find the right words to tell her as I soaked in the fact that Dante had, in the end, truly been helping us. And Victoria's sister! I had to tell her.

"Your sister's alive," I said, handing her the note. "Look."

Victoria's eyes widened and she took the note from my hands to read it. Her mouth fell open after a moment and she stared at the piece of paper in silence.

"This…he…" She tore the note into shreds and placed her face in her hands. "I can't believe it. She's alive. She's really _alive_!" Victoria fell to her knees and began to tremble. I sunk down beside her and wrapped my arms around her while Jasper knelt beside us and placed his hand on her shoulder. "I just…she's alive. And he knew!" I couldn't tell what was going through Victoria's mind right now, but when I glanced at Jasper, I could see turmoil all over his face.

"Tori?" I whispered. "Are you okay?"

Victoria stopped trembling and when she looked at me, her eyes looked moist. "Am I okay? No." She growled, but I knew the growl wasn't meant for me. "Fuck no, I'm not. I feel like my brain is inside a fucking blender right now along with my heart, Bella. There's so much to take in…my sister is alive, but in hiding. Dante knew it and he was helping us, but now he's gone. And those fuckers know about Alice and the wolves. They're planning something. That's not good."

"We also know they're adding more vampires to their ranks," Jasper said. "We need to tell the others immediately. The wolves too, for that matter, if we intend to keep them as allies and trust them. There's no telling when the Thornes will attack, but we need to figure out what we're going to do about it, and quickly." He squeezed Victoria's shoulder, then stood up.

Victoria and I got up as well. "He's right," I said, knowing that Edward had informed the Thornes of Alice's ability. That meant they would either try and take her or kill her, and I wasn't about to let either of those happen, nor would I allow them to harm my family or anyone else so long as I could prevent it. That included the wolves, even the ones who I wasn't fond of.

"Let's get back home," Victoria said.

"Agreed," Jasper replied.

We broke from the alleyway and began to make our way back towards Forks, but no sooner did we get past Port Angeles did I catch wind of multiple unfamiliar scents. My instincts told me danger and I stopped immediately and growled, as did Victoria and Jasper. We were away from civilization now, surrounded by trees with a road in the distance, but trees blocked it off, preventing any humans who happened to drive by from seeing us.

"Well, well, what have we here?" Eight vampires, all male, appeared from seemingly nowhere, surrounding the three of us. The one who had spoken was grinning. He had short, messy blonde hair and a fierce look in his dark red eyes as he scanned us and I smelled the lingering stench of ash on him. "Look boys, we've found ourselves some new playthings. And two of them happen to be extremely hot ladies." He clicked his teeth and smirked. "Hey there, girls."

Jasper sighed. "Why is it the cretins always try to flirt with you girls, completely ignoring us because they don't view us as a challenge?" He shook his head. "It's annoying."

I turned to eye Jasper curiously. "So…you want guys to hit on you?"

"Um, no," he replied. "That's not what I meant."

"Sounds like it," I said. The vampires surrounding us chuckled and hissed, but I ignored them despite my body instinctively warning me not to keep my eyes off them for too long, which I didn't. "Who the hell are you clowns and what do you want?"

"What do we want?" asked the same male vampire. I could tell by looking at him that he was a newborn. Not the recently-turned-ultra-savage-I-want-to-kill-you-fo r-no-reason newborn, no, because if that were the case, Jasper's remark would have set him and the others off. Clearly, they'd been around for at least a few months, although I'd never seen them until now. "We want information. See, we've been hired by our bosses to track down…who was it again?"

"The Coltens," said one vampire.

"No, you dumbass," growled another. "It's the Colleens."

The newborns—the term still fit—started bickering amongst themselves and I couldn't help turning to share an amused look with Jasper. Victoria, on the other hand, remained motionless and blank-faced while they argued and I was starting to grow extremely concerned for her. She had so much going through her mind, I feared what could happen. Then again, maybe tearing into some idiotic vampires would help clear the fog in her brain…

"It's 'Cullen,'" I said. "I take it you mean us."

"So it would seem," Jasper said, lifting an eyebrow at me.

"See?" said the first vampire. "I told you dumbasses!" He beamed. "We're here to kill you."

"What, that's it?" Jasper asked. "No cocky boasting? No threats? Just 'we're here to kill you'?"

"We don't need to boast because there's no point," the vampire said. "There are eight of us and three of you. Besides, we recently fed and if that's not enough of a reason to make you understand? We just got done killing some poor sucker who pissed our bosses off. He fought well, sure, but the dumbass wasn't strong enough to take us down. We tricked him, got under his skin and then killed him when he hesitated. What's that say about your fates?"

Victoria let out a bitter laugh. "You dumbfucks think you can take us? Really?" She grinned almost devilishly and cracked her knuckles. "You're a bunch of brainless newborns sent here to die, don't you get it? You can't kill us. You _won't_ kill us. But we _will_ kill you." She let out a venomous snarl and crouched down. "I'll make you suffer a hundred times over for killing Dante, you sons of bitches. You fucked with the wrong coven!"

She lunged at one without a second's hesitation and tore the main vampire's right arm off. He screamed and fell to his knees instantly, only for Victoria to kick him in the back of the head to shut him up. The others snapped out of their brief shock and started to lunge for us, so I went into full defense mode and let my inner animal take over. It wanted to kill, after all. Death. Yes.

I lunged at the nearest one. Slammed my fist into his face, then started pummeling him. Two more grabbed me, but I fought them off. They had strength, but I had speed and experience. I spun around, kicking each of them in the face. They fell back, but were quick to get up. I snarled and lunged for one, sinking my teeth into his shoulder. I tore off a chunk of his skin. He screamed. I grinned and punched him to shut him up. The other two collided with me.

"Bitch!" one hissed out.

He punched me while the other bit me. I snarled and fought them off. Knee to the gut, nails to the face. I bit one of them in the nose and ripped it off. He screamed. Very high pitched. While he rolled around, writhing in pain, I focused on the one who insulted me. I sped around him with ease, then ducked down and hit him between the legs. He went down and I wrapped my arms around him, growled, then twisted his head off.

One down. I looked around and saw my siblings ripping into their opponents. Only four left. The one without a nose got to his feet finally, looking panicked. I grinned and lunged for his throat, then ripped his head off. Two down, one left for me to kill. The vampire was on his feet and running when I turned my head. I scoffed. As if he could outrun me.

I dashed after him and tackled him to the ground in no time. He struggled under me and I pummeled him viciously in the face, throat and chest. Then, when I was satisfied, I ripped into his throat. He was dead in no time. It made me smile. Triumph. I turned to my siblings. They were done, too. The bodies of the vampires lay scattered about. We silently gathered the remains, then Victoria pulled out a match, lit it and tossed it on the bodies.

"I feel better," Victoria said. "Much better."

I felt relieved, but that relief was short lived. "Wait. If the Thornes sent vampires after us, then who's to say they didn't send any after the others?"

"We should get back to the house," Jasper said.

"Agreed," Victoria said.

We raced back to our house and I prayed everyone was alright. I didn't doubt the others could defend themselves, but I still worried, especially for Alice and Cynthia's sakes.

When we arrived back at the house, I saw Emmett and Rosalie outside, standing over a small fire. I stopped several feet away and grimaced at the stench of burning vampire, but I knew then that there had been attacks. I looked around and sniffed the air to see if there were any other vampires around. None. I could also smell Alice and Cynthia, safe and sound inside. Good.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Some idiot vampires attacked us," Rosalie replied. "So we killed them." She glanced at me and crossed her arms. "I take it the same thing happened with the three of you?"

"Yeah," I replied.

"What'd you guys find out?" Emmett asked.

"The Thornes are making newborn vampires and planning an attack against us and the wolves," Victoria replied. "And…my sister is alive somewhere in Europe." She shook her head. "All that matters is that we figure out what to do before those assholes gain the upper hand on us somehow."

"We should call Raina at La Push," I said. "The wolves need to know what's happening."

Rosalie scoffed. "Why do we need to help them, exactly? They can defend themselves."

I sighed. "Because, Rose, we're trying to create peace, not—"

"Guys!" Cynthia ran outside. "Alice says she needs all of you inside immediately. It's bad!"

I snapped to attention and ran inside after Cynthia, Rosalie and the others following close behind. Alice was on her feet, looking frantic when she met my eyes and I pulled her into my arms, her fear practically seeping into and spreading through me.

"Ali, what's wrong?" I asked. "Was it a vision?"

Alice nodded. "It's the wolves. They're in trouble. Leah…her brother…oh God." She shook her head and gently pulled away from me. "You have to hurry. La Push is under attack!"

**A/N: And thus, crap hits the fan. Hope you enjoyed. :D**


	57. Blood Moon

**Disclaimer:** Twilight belongs to Meyer, blah blah blah. My characters and ideas belong to me.

**Blood Moon**

"We need to get there and help," I said.

I imagined Raina and the wolves fighting with all their might against the Thorne coven and whatever vampires they'd created to wipe them out, but why wipe out the wolves first? There were more wolves than there were of us. It made no sense. Was this Edward's plan? Did he see the wolves as a bigger threat? I could see that given how much of a coward he was.

"Why?" Victoria asked. "Why do the wolves need our help? They can fight just fine. What we should focus on is coming up with a plan to go after those assholes and wipe them out from existence. Then I can go look for my sister without having to worry about them getting in the way. The wolves can fend for themselves, don't you think?"

"Exactly," Rosalie said. "They haven't asked for our help, so why should we? What's the big deal?"

"We don't know how many vampires they're fighting against," I said, glancing at Alice. "Ali?"

She pursed her lips. "I don't know. I saw a lot of red eyes, a lot of wolves fighting and more blood than I've ever seen in my entire life. It was gruesome. I saw one wolf get its head torn off by a vampire I didn't know. He then ripped the poor thing's limbs off."

I sat beside her and wrapped her into my arms. "It's okay," I whispered as Cynthia sat at her other side and took one of her hands. "Shh. It'll be okay, Ali."

"Casualties can always be expected," Jasper said gently, and I could feel a wave of calm wrapping around the entire room, which I was thankful for. "However, I agree with Bella. We may not get along best with the wolves, but they are our allies and their Alpha wants to make a solid effort to be better allies, so helping them would be beneficial on both sides."

"And even if you don't want to help the wolves, it's a fight!" Emmett said, pounding his fists together excitedly. "I've been itching to kick someone's ass for way too damn long now, so why should we let this perfect opportunity be wasted? I say hell yeah we go!"

Carlisle and Esme suddenly appeared from the other end of the house looking alarmed and concerned, which doubled when they saw all of us huddled around the couch. Carlisle came to stand beside Jasper and Emmett, while Esme frowned and stood in front of Alice and I.

"Where were you two?" I asked, noting the hint of smoke emanating from them.

"Dealing with several vampires that attacked us," Esme replied, whipping her hair around and growling to herself. "They attacked us from out of nowhere while we were going on a walk, so we killed them and burned them. We got here as quickly as we could, worried that the rest of you may be in trouble." She paused and looked around. "What's going on in here?"

"Alice had a vision of La Push being attacked," I said. "I think we should go there and help."

"Agreed," Carlisle said without a second's hesitation. His eyes had darkened slightly, and I could see a mixture of emotions in them, concern being one of the strongest. "If they're under attack and we know, yet do nothing, then we're no better than the vampires attacking them in the first place. Do we know who's responsible for this?"

"The Thornes," Jasper replied.

Carlisle nodded. "We shouldn't debate this. We need to go and help."

"What about us?" Cynthia asked, hugging Alice, who was silent and staring forward. "Ali?"

She snapped to attention. "They're in trouble. The vampires…there are a lot of them and they got the jump on the wolves when they were patrolling. Some are dead. The others are fighting. There's screaming and fire and blood everywhere…oh God." Tears were brimming in her eyes and I knew instantly that we had to go without a doubt. Her moist eyes met mine. "Bella…"

"We're going to help," I said. "I promise."

Carlisle and Esme nodded. "Cynthia, take Alice downstairs, dear," Esme said. "One of us will stay behind to ensure that you're both protected while the rest of us go to La Push. Carlisle, Bella and myself are going without a doubt. Jasper, Victoria, you two as well. Emmett, Rosalie, decide who among you is going to stay and who will come with us."

"I'll stay," Rosalie said. "As much as a fight sounds good, I know my priorities. Go."

I kissed her cheek. "Thank you, Rose. Be safe." I turned to Alice and Cynthia. "You two had better stay safe, too, or I'll kick your asses."

"Hurry," Alice said, offering me a tiny smile. "And thank you."

"I'll tell you how the fight was, girls!" Emmett boomed and in no time, we were off.

The six of us sped out of the house and through the woods towards La Push, moving as fast as our bodies could go towards the battle that was going on, and it wasn't long before I caught wind of a number of different smells, none of which were pleasant. Fire, smoke, blood, the wolves and vampires I didn't recognize all mingled together and I grimaced at the foulness of it, but I ignored the scents and pushed my body on, breaking away from my family.

_Damn it_, I thought. _Dante got it wrong. Or maybe they knew Dante would write that note, so they did this on purpose. Either way, we have to do whatever we can._ I sniffed the air as I moved. _Even from here, I can tell there are a ton of vampires, probably all newborns. The humans won't have a chance and I'm not sure about the wolves. They're strong, sure, but…_

Fighting newborns wasn't the same as fighting an older, more mature vampire. Newborns were wild, unruly and savage, but most of all, they were extremely bloodthirsty and unpredictable. That made them all the more difficult to fight, something Jasper, Victoria, hell, _all_ of us knew about, but I wasn't sure if Raina and her pack did. They probably had some idea.

That was when we broke free of the trees and I saw La Push. There was smoke everywhere and I could hear the sounds of snarling, roaring, screaming and fighting. It was chaos. I stopped and whipped around, trying to find Raina or another wolf I knew, but all I saw were vampires and wolves fighting as though we weren't even present.

"Spread out," Carlisle said urgently, looking around. "Esme and I will assist the wounded."'

"The rest of you kill any vampire you don't know," Esme added.

She and Carlisle went one direction while the rest of us fanned out, and just as we started, the vampires running around took notice of us—how could they not?—and I could hear my family members fighting with them already. I sped past the ones who tried to attack me, however, because my focus was on finding Raina and finding out what the hell happened. Or, at the very least, finding some wolf that I knew wouldn't attack me on sight.

I kept moving until I caught sight of the massive gray wolf fighting off three vampires at once. She ripped one's head off while the other two continued attacking her, so I sped in and tackled one to the ground. The female vampire was caught off guard by my presence, but she quickly began to fight with me, sinking her teeth into my side within seconds. I brought my elbow down on the top of her head, then picked her up and flung her into the other vampire, also a woman.

Raina ripped the male vampire's head off then spun around, eyeing me with wide, surprised eyes, although she was quick to growl and lunge at one of the two female vampires. I took the other and tore her head off after a moment of struggling, then saw that Raina had succeeded in doing the same even quicker than I had.

Slowly, Raina turned to look at me, then her body started to transform and, within moments, I was looking at Raina in her human form—completely naked. I pushed aside any thoughts that popped up about her lack of clothing as she walked over to me, her dark eyes holding my gaze with a mixture of different emotions playing in them. I didn't blame her.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Raina asked.

"Alice," I said. "She saw La Push under attack, so we came immediately. There was a vampire that my sister knew who…never mind, that's not important right now. Are you okay?"

"My people are being slaughtered and I've already witnessed three wolves die," Raina said.

I grimaced. "I'm sorry."

"Forget it," Raina replied, growling to herself. "I'm glad your family is here."

"How'd this happen?" I asked hurriedly as we started to move. I could tell Raina was flustered and in pain, but she was too busy looking around for something to care.

"I don't know," she said. "I thought we'd be prepared for an attack that came out of nowhere like this one did." She growled and her pace picked up. "I was patrolling with Sam, Emily and Jacob. We were doing our usual routes while a few other wolves, all of whom I'd trained, remained behind at the beach, as usual. Nothing was different. But then, we picked up an unfamiliar scent. Vampire, of course. Jacob took off. He ignored our calls to stop.

"I figured it was just some random vampire who didn't know the area, but still, I went after Jacob. I never caught up to him, however, because I felt something and stopped immediately. It was a chill, a strong, terrifying chill that something was wrong. Then we were jumped. Six vampires. They attacked us and we fought them off before killing them, although they injured Sam. He insisted that he'd be fine, however, and that we head back to La Push, which we did.

"And when we returned, there were vampires everywhere. It was madness. I ordered the wolves to kill the vampires and protect our people, but…" She stopped suddenly and I saw that she was quivering. "I know we've already lost most of our tribe. It got to the point that I ordered some of the wolves to get the humans away from La Push, but I have no clue if it did any good. My father's dead. The entire council except Sue Clearwater was killed, in face. And I…"

"Raina…I'm so sorry," I whispered.

Raina spun around to face me, burning a hole through me with her gaze. "Tell me, Bella, and be honest with me, because I swear…" She shook her head. "Did you know this would happen?"

I was stunned she would ask me, but I quickly shook my head. "No. I swear to you, Raina, on my life and the life of everyone I love, we didn't know. We just learned that the vampire coven I told you about, the Thornes, were planning something, but when we got back to the house, Alice had her vision of La Push being attacked, so we got here as soon as possible. If we had known, we would have come here first to help, I swear to you."

She grimaced. "I…I believe you, I think, but…"

"Aw, poor doggie," came a voice that I recognized instantly. Adira. We both turned to see the blonde sitting on a large rock, staring at us with amused red eyes. "You know, when I heard that there was a race of foul-smelling shapeshifters, I was intrigued, but doubtful. And to consider the notion that such creatures were even worthy of fighting a vampire such as myself was utterly absurd. And yet, here you are, stinking and dying like little ugly worms."

Raina exploded into wolf form without a second's hesitation and roared. Adira looked unfazed as she stared at her, and when Raina lunged, Adira leapt out of the way, laughing. I growled and sped at her, slugging her across the face to shut her up, my blood boiling when I thought of her being responsible for what was going on. Not only that, but her and Edward being together repulsed and enraged me all the more. I wanted both of them dead.

Adira rolled to her feet and snickered. "Touchy, touchy, Bella. Why are you acting like this? Why bother helping these stinky dogs? They're just going to kill you in the end."

Raina snarled, clearly not wanting to be ignored and charged in at Adira, who spun around and growled right back at her. This time, Raina was smarter in how she moved and she caught Adira off guard before sinking her teeth into the flesh of Adira's right arm. Adira screamed as Raina thrashed her about, and I realized that while I wanted to beat the living shit out of Adira, letting Raina do it was fairer. She had more of a reason: vengeance.

_She froze me, but I don't care,_ I thought. _I'll let Raina tear her apart. I'm going to go see if…_

Adira wrestled around with Raina and I realized that she didn't know about Adira's gift. "Raina, she's the one who can create ice!" I shouted. "Be careful!"

Raina let out a grunt that I took as acknowledgment as she grazed Adira's throat. Adira, however, managed to let out a blast of ice using only her mouth, enough to make Raina jump off her and paw at her face while Adira grabbed her severed arm. I prepared to lunge at her and growled, but before I could, Raina leapt in front of me and gave me a look.

I knew without having to ask that my earlier thought had been right: she wanted Adira for herself. I nodded, deciding that I could at least try and see how else I could help since the sounds of battle picked up again all around me. I whipped around to try and see if I could my family members and any Quileutes, wolf and non-wolf, that I could help.

In the distance, I caught sight of two wolves fighting a number of vampires, Jasper fighting alongside them. Whether or not they were fighting side-by-side willingly, I didn't know, but I was glad to see more wolves alive. Then, further on, I could see Carlisle and Esme carrying bodies in their arms, bodies of Quileutes that looked alive. That made me feel good, too. My thoughts were broken, however, by loud noises that came from behind me.

The noises caught my attention and I turned to see Raina and Adira still fighting, only now, Adira was using her ice gift because part of the ground was covered in ice. Raina was moving around Adira swiftly, snapping at the bitch with her massive, powerful jaws, but Adira was quicker on her feet and her gift made it easier for her to keep Raina at a distance.

Part of me wanted badly to help Raina, but before I could think too much on it, something hard struck me from behind. My face hit the ground, though I was quick to get to my feet and see that I'd been attacked by one of the Thorne's newly turned vampires. There were two of them, in fact, and both growled at me. I growled back and crouched down, eager to kill them.

_Need to kill __**something**_, I thought. I was angry. Pissed. Killing would make me happier.

I let instinct take over as I began to brawl with them, using my speed to move around them constantly to avoid being attacked. I let their frustration build, and while I enjoyed tormenting them, I kept part of my attention on Raina and Adira while they fought. I nailed one in the groin while the other managed to land a short barrage of strikes to me, but strong as they were, it wasn't enough to keep me from grabbing his arm and biting down on his wrist, tearing it off.

He screamed as I spat the severed hand aside and I quickly nailed him in the chest with a left hook, but before I could finish him off, the second vampire grabbed hold of me and managed to sink his teeth into the side of my neck. I growled, but then Raina suddenly leapt in and tackled the vampire to the ground, and despite his thrashing and snarling, he couldn't do much to get her off of him. I peered over my shoulder to see Adira on the ground, her body full of cracks, but she got up just as the other vampire tried to attack me.

I was too preoccupied with him to do much else, so I focused on killing him while Raina focused on the other vampire. I realized that it was exactly the distraction Adira needed, because I saw her grin smugly as Raina tore into the vampire. I ripped my opponent's head off as quickly as I could, and surged forward to where Raina was.

Adira lunged at Raina, but I was able to jump in between, nearly sinking my teeth into Adira's throat. Adira, however, seemed to expect that, because the next thing I knew, I'd been kicked across the face and was lying on the ground. I hissed, agitated that I'd been knocked down and leapt back to my feet—I was getting tired of that—only to see Adira slam into Raina and stretch one arm outwards. I knew what was going to happen.

"Raina!" I was too late, however, because Adira froze her in a massive block of ice. Adira sneered and looked about ready to attack it and all I could see was Raina shattering into a thousand pieces. I tapped into my gift at that moment and surged forward as Adira's movement slowed down and slammed into her with all my might.

Once Adira was out of the way, I spun around to check on Raina's frozen body, wondering how I'd be able to free her without hurting her. I didn't know how. Would I be able to shatter the ice without killing her? Our bodies were different, so I didn't know how it affected her compared to how it had affected me. But I wasn't able to think on it too long, because I heard movement behind me and knew that Adira was on her feet about to attack.

I spun around just in time to see Adira stretch her arm out at me and open her hand. A white stream of what looked like mist shot outwards from her palm, and before I could move, it blasted against me, wrapping around my right arm and sending a stinging pain through my entire body. I immediately balled my right hand into a fist and bent my arm, breaking the ice. The pain caused me to scream, however. It hurt like hell!

Adira laughed. "Aw, did that hurt you, Bella? Poor thing."

"Damn you!" I shouted, leaping out of the way of another stream of ice.

Adira laughed. "Yes, damn me, the big mean bitch. Like this is all _my_ fault." She slowly began to circle around me and my eyes darted to Raina's frozen form. "Oh, relax. The dog is alive. I still don't see why you care so damn much about a stinking animal, but then, Edward did mention that you were foolish. He's right. You're overconfident with yourself and your precious family, you're short-tempered and, in all honesty, very dense for one who's been around as long as you have. Tell me…how does it feel to know these things?"

I swallowed back the rage that started swirling inside of me. "How does it feel to know that you're being manipulated by a chauvinistic asshole who wouldn't care if you died?"

She chuckled. "Oh, I doubt that sincerely. Edward cares for me. In his own way."

I stared at her, confused. There was something…off about the way she spoke about him. Either way, it didn't matter to me; she was my enemy and she had a point. Twice I had been given the chance to kill Edward, but I was unable to because of my pride and anger. Edward knew it. The Thornes knew it. And I knew it. However, I had to keep myself from letting my faults get the better of me a third time, because if they did, I doubted I would be as fortunate.

"I hope you don't get lost in thought, Bella," Adira said. "You might end up regretting it."

She lunged at me and tackled me to the ground, grinning as her fist connected with my cheek. I hissed and clawed at her face, and we began rolling around, battling viciously for dominance over the other. We punched, kicked, clawed, and bit one another repeatedly, and everything around me was a blur. I felt the blows each time her attacks connected and relished every time I was able to inflict pain on her, but I realized soon enough that we were evenly matched.

Eventually, after trying to rip my hair out, I elbowed Adira in the throat and kicked her off of me, then jumped to my feet. I lunged just as she stood and managed to sink my teeth into her right shoulder, which I bit into with all my might, hoping I'd be able to rip something off. Adira screamed and thrashed around as I tore out her flesh, but it wasn't as much as I had wanted.

_Damn_, I thought as I spat her skin aside. _Lucky bitch._

"Not bad," Adira said, twitching slightly. "But there's clearly no point in us continuing our little fight here. You can't defeat me and I'm bored with fighting you. What not tend to your dog and let me run off, hmm? It will be easier and you won't have to die. What do—?"

I was in front of her before she could finish, my hand around her throat. "You think I'm just going to let you get away?" I asked, gripping her throat tightly. "After what you and your damn coven has done to these people? Fuck you, bitch. You're not going anywhere."

She grinned. "Do you think you can stop me?"

"Yes," I said.

"Confident," she replied. "But still not very bright."

She let out a breath and cold air careened into my face, freezing over my eyes, nose and mouth. I fell back immediately and clawed at my face to get the ice off, the chilling pain stinging my eyes and every inch of my face. I heard laughter for a moment, but then it was gone, and by the time I'd removed the ice from my face, I saw that Adira had escaped.

I hissed in frustration, but I pushed my anger aside. She was gone. There was no point in going after her because right now, I had to tend to Raina, who was still frozen solid. I quickly started to chip away at the ice, yet as I did, I noticed that the ice was also starting to melt. Eventually, the ice cracked up and Raina's body was freed. She slumped over and I checked to make sure her heart was beating. It was, but the pace was slow, dangerously slow.

_Crap._ "Raina, you'll be okay. I'll…I'll get you out of here."

I lifted her into my arms, ignoring her scent as I did, then quickly made my way away from our location towards the trees. It wasn't the safest place to leave her, but so long as she was further away, there was a better chance she'd be ignored until she recuperated. I had a feeling it would be soon, too. Wolves healed quickly, after all.

I set her down, then turned and ran back, whipping my head around, taking in the sights of wolves, vampires and a few moving bodies. I could vaguely smell my family members spread out around the beach, as well as a few wolves and a handful of vampires I didn't recognize. Only one human scent reached my nostrils and it was a familiar one that I immediately sought. Within seconds, I found Leah, laying on the ground, motionless.

"Leah!" I shouted, crouching by her side. Her heart was still beating. She was alive.

She stirred, but only slightly, and I gave her a quick glance over to see that she was in rough shape. I could smell the bruises on her and, from the medical training I'd received once from Esme and Carlisle, I knew enough to recognize when a human had broken bones. She had several broken ribs, a broken arm and a broken leg, as well as a number of bruises. I considered trying to lift her and get her away from La Push, but I smelled trouble before I could.

I spun around just in time to block a fist, which I pushed back. It was another nameless vampire, but this one wasn't as young as some of the seething vampires I'd seen. Had he been, he would have growled and lunged at me with his teeth bared, not his fist, but it didn't matter; the hunger in his dark eyes was more than enough of a reason to see that he wanted Leah's blood.

"Hell no," I said, crouching down in front of her. He snarled. I snarled right back.

There was a coughing noise behind me as the vampire crouched down. "B-Bella?"

"Hold on, Leah," I said. "This won't take long."

"Bitch!" the vampire spat, lunging at me. I whirled around him and wrapped my arms around his neck, then slammed him into the ground, stunning him. He kicked at me and managed to bite my wrist, but I swallowed the pain and simply went for his throat, tearing his head off in no time. I kicked his head aside immediately after and returned to Leah, whose eyes were barely open.

"What…what are you…?"

"Shh," I whispered, grimacing because I had no clue what to do. "Don't try to talk. You're hurt."

She stared at me blankly and I saw moisture start to build in her eyes. "My brother is dead." She whimpered and tried to move, but couldn't. "Oh God, Seth! Seth! My baby brother…he's gone! He's dead!" The tears started streaming down her face and my chest tightened. Leah began to sob as she brought her hands to her face. "And Mom! Mom…Seth…dead…"

Her words became too fast and jumbled together for me to make anything out, but I knew she was in agonizing pain, and there was nothing I could do or say to ease it. She sobbed long, broken sobs and I remained by her side, trying my hardest not to cry myself. I wanted to pull her into my arms and kiss her cheek, to hold her close and apologize to her for not being there fast enough to save them. I couldn't, though. I didn't want to cause her more physical pain.

_Damn you, Edward_. I clenched both hands into fists and chomped down on my lower lip. _Damn you to Hell, you and every motherfucking vampire who you work with! _

Leah's sobbing eventually died down and her arms fell to her sides, limp. I ducked down to listen to her heartbeat, and I knew that she'd cried herself unconscious. I felt awful. No, awful wasn't the right word. There was no right word for how I felt, nor was there a word for what was going through Leah's mind. I couldn't imagine. I didn't want to imagine, either.

"Bella!" I turned to see Victoria heading towards me. She looked a little scuffed up, but otherwise fine as she came and knelt down beside me. "You okay?"

"No," I said, glancing back at Leah. "I'm far from it."

"The Thornes got away," Victoria said, growling. "The fuckers escaped when they saw the opportunity. I know they were all here. I could smell them." I said nothing and soon I heard more footsteps. I didn't have to look up to know Jasper and Emmett had joined us. "This…this is Leah, right? Your human friend, the one Alice and Cynthia like?"

"Yes," I said. "She lost her family."

"At least she survived," Emmett said.

"Is that better, though?" I asked, looking up at him.

He grimaced. "Well, uh…"

Carlisle and Esme joined us at that moment. "Oh!" Esme said, speeding over to Leah.

"It's finished," Carlisle said while Esme checked on Leah. "The vampires who were attacking are either dead or gone. We buried the bodies of the slain humans and wolves because it felt like the right thing to do, but…" He stopped and sorrow burned in his eyes. "These poor people. They didn't deserve this. Most of them couldn't defend themselves, and the wolves were outnumbered. I can't believe this happened and we could do nothing to stop it…"

"At least some of the wolves survived," Esme said. "Alice also confirmed that a good number of the Quileutes are alive as well, although they don't know the extent of what's happened. We've decided that after this, we're going to find them and inform them of everything. Hopefully, it will do some good and we can help give them some peace of mind in knowing that the vampires directly responsible are dead, and those indirectly responsible will be dead very, _very_ soon."

"I say we hunt them all down now!" Emmett said, pounding his fists together. He was pissed.

I crouched down beside Esme. "How is she?"

"She's in bad condition, but she'll live," Esme said. "However, I'm more worried about her mental state. She's lost her brother, her mother and a good number of her own people. The pain she'll go through from carrying that with her for the rest of her life…" Esme shook her head and her voice shook as she spoke. "We'll make those sons of bitches pay for what they did."

"Yes," I said. "Yes, we will."

"Let's get her to the hospital," Carlisle said.

"Good idea," I replied, standing. I wanted to try and hunt down any of the Thornes, but something told me it was pointless. Leah stirred suddenly and she started to squirm, at which point I felt Jasper send out a faint wave of calm to help prevent her from hurting herself. "Leah, it's okay." It wasn't really, but I didn't know what else to say.

After a moment, Leah looked up at us weakly. "What's…what's going on?"

"We're going to take you to the hospital," Carlisle said. "We'll treat your wounds there, dear."

"Just relax," Esme said gently. "We'll have some morphine in you in no time, and then—"

"Wait," Leah said, grimacing. "I…I have a request."

Carlisle and Esme shared a concerned look. "What's that?" Esme asked.

"Turn me," Leah said. "Make me a vampire."

**A/N: I'm sure that wasn't what you were expecting or hoping for. Truthfully, I felt that the Cullens arriving on time to help wouldn't have fit the mood. Yes, they spent time talking, but recall that vampires talk quickly, so that was really less than a minute or two of discussion (minus the humans talking, but even then, it was all fast). As far as the lack of 'on screen' death, I admit that one reason was that I don't trust my own ability right now because I've been out of writing this story for a while (at the time I finished this). I do hope I was able to get the tone the way I wanted it. The two people who read it said I did.**

**Also, I'll confirm that Seth, Sue, Embry and Billy are dead. Embry wasn't mentioned, but he will be in the future.**

**One last thing. A note, actually: I wish to apologize to all of you. I've gotten some very polite reviews recently expressing some concerns and I find that they're very legitimate and I agree with them. The lack of acknowledgment of what day/month it is (even I don't know), some iffy parts of the characters, etc. This is NOT a rant against those people. This is a public acknowledgment that they are correct, and an apology to them and all of you if anything I've done throughout this story has rubbed you the wrong way. **

**Most of it is because I thought it was a good idea or I didn't bother to really stop and think about it. Bella's self-loathing, for instance, was never meant to copy off of Edward, it was meant to make her different than the other incarnations of her I've written. Her blaming herself for things (like above, where she blames herself for not knowing Adira could do that despite it not being her fault), the school scenario being out of focus, etc. I've made a lot of mistakes in this series, just as I did in Blood Solstice, and I'd like to own up to them. I also wish to apologize for the whole 'I am holding back chapters' thing. That, again, is from something that I feel makes more sense to me, and I get that some of you disagree.**

**At any rate, I promise that I will do my best to not fall into these patterns in the future. Broken Aurora here has 15 more chapters to go, and then I will be doing other things, including a collab with someone you all know and love, and a few other stories that aren't necessarily Twilight related.**

**Regardless. I'm done blabbing. Take care, everybody.**


	58. Broken

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight series, Stephenie-With-An-"e"-Meyer does. I own my own characters and ideas only. No thievery.**

**Broken**

I was stunned by Leah's words as she looked up at Carlisle and Esme. "You…you can make me a vampire, can't you?" she asked. Her voice sounded weak. She needed medical treatment.

Esme and Carlisle shared a look briefly before Carlisle moved to Leah's other side. "Yes, we can," Carlisle said. "But Miss Clearwater, right now isn't the time to ask us such a question. You need to be treated first and…we must regroup. And given what has transpired here, it's probably best that you rest and heal, because you may not—"

"May not what?" Leah asked, coughing. "Be in the right s-state of mind?" She winced. "Trust me, I've…I've never been more clear than I am right now. Please. Please…I…" She twitched, then her eyes closed and she passed out, letting out a low groan as she did.

"Leah…" I whispered.

"I'm surprised she'd ask us such a question," Esme said as she gently lifted Leah's body. "The poor girl. I can't even begin to imagine what she must be going through…" Her eyes darkened and she let out a low growl. "Carlisle, I'll take her to the hospital so she can be cared for. I think it might be best if we dealt with her, then the wolves and Quileutes who survived."

"I'll go and find them," Carlisle said. "It may be difficult to reason with some due to everything that's happened here due to vampires, but I hope that somehow I can convince them to…"

He stopped himself and turned his head as Raina appeared, slowly walking towards us. Her eyes were full of torment as her posture relaxed and she stopped near us, not even seeming to care that she was naked. None of us said anything about it, although it looked like Emmett was about to before Jasper and Victoria elbowed him, a hint he took because he immediately sobered up as Raina glanced at Leah lying in Esme's arms.

"Poor Leah," Raina whispered, her eyes moistening, although she quickly rubbed them. "If you're going to find the others, I'd best go with you. The wolves will attack you if they think you had something to do with the attack and…it's better this way." She paused and stared into space for a moment. "I'm the new chief now, it seems." She let out a dry, hollow chuckle. "I never thought I would see the day when I could call myself that. Never."

"We're so terribly sorry for everything that's happened, Raina," Carlisle said.

Raina raised a hand. "Don't. Please. Not right now. We…we should go, if you wish to come with me. I have to find my people so we can regroup and…figure things out."

"Of course," Carlisle said.

"Carlisle, do you want me to go too?" Jasper asked. "I mean no offense to you or your people, Raina, but if the worst should happen, I could help calm things down." His lips pursed together. "That's only if you want me to use my gift, that is."

"Raina?" Carlisle said. "May my son come with us?"

"Sure," Raina replied, exploding into her wolf form. Without a noise, Raina charged off and Carlisle and Jasper followed after her, leaving only Esme, Emmet, Victoria and myself.

"So what now?" Victoria asked.

"I'm going to take Leah," Esme said. "The three of you should get back to the house just in case some of the wolves show up and think you're the enemy. Once Leah has received the care she needs, I'll meet up with Carlisle and Jasper, then we'll return home and we can discuss what we'll do from there. The Quileutes will need time to mourn their dead, and I feel the very least we can do is donate our time and money to ensure they get that chance without interruption."

"Alright," I replied. "Be safe." _Both of you._ Esme sped off, and the three of us were left standing on the beach, destruction and death all around us. I turned to look around the beach, taking in the sight of vampire, werewolf and Quileute remains scattered about. "We should take care of the vampire bodies before we go home. We'll move the other bodies together, since it'd be wrong of us to bury them for the Quileutes. That's their right, not ours."

"I agree," Victoria said. "Anyone got a matchbook or a lighter on them?"

"I do," Emmett said, grinning and pulling out a pack of matches.

We gathered the torn up pieces of vampire bodies and limbs and brought them together in a massive pile, throwing in some debris and wood from trees while we did, and when every last remnant of the vampires who attacked La Push had been gathered together, Emmett lit a match and tossed it on top, igniting the large pile within seconds. The stench was overwhelming.

"Damn that stinks," Victoria said, grimacing. "Let's get out of here."

"Agreed," I said.

We sprinted back to our house, and I couldn't stop thinking about Raina and Leah the whole way. The moment I walked inside, however, my thought process was broken by Alice, who practically tackled me to the ground with her hug. I steadied myself, though, and wrapped my arms around her before walking into the family room to sit down on the couch.

"What happened?" she asked.

I pressed my lips to her forehead. "We weren't as quick as I wish we could have been. A lot of the Quileutes were killed and the Thornes got away." I growled when I thought about Adira. "I let Adira get away. I got careless because I didn't know she could turn her breath into ice, the bitch." I sighed as Alice snuggled into my arms. "Tonight stunk."

"You can say that again," Victoria said. "I'm going to go take a shower."

She dashed upstairs while Emmett crossed his arms. "I guess I'll go see Rose. Where is she?"

"Upstairs in your room," Alice replied. "But she'll be out in three…two…"

"One," Rosalie said as she entered the family room. "So, how was your trip to…?" She stopped and her eyes moved from mine to Emmett's. "Where are the others? And what happened?"

"Carlisle and Jasper went to talk to the survivors," I replied. "Esme took one of the humans to the hospital, a friend of Alice and Cynthia's named Leah. As far as what happened, La Push was destroyed and a lot of innocent people are dead, and we barely managed to do any good. "

"Hey, we kicked some ass," Emmett said. "Right?"

"Not enough," I replied.

Rosalie nodded somberly. "How sad. How many survived?"

I glanced at Alice, since I didn't know the total. "Two-thirds of the Quileutes survived and a little more than half of the wolves, to my knowledge. I can't give an exact number, though."

Victoria suddenly appeared downstairs. "Ah, much better."

"It's about time you finished," Rosalie said. She poked Emmett in the shoulder. "Your turn, mister. I'm not letting you into our room while you reek of wolf."

"Will you be joining me?" Emmett asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"Nope," Rosalie replied. "I don't want the stink on myself."

Emmett pouted. "Aw, man."

"Don't worry, I'll make it up to you later," Rosalie said, winking before running upstairs.

Emmett beamed and trudged after her while Victoria remained where she was, her lips pursing together as if she were lost in thought for a brief moment.

"Alice, may I speak with you for a few minutes?" Victoria asked.

Alice glanced at me, then nodded. "Sure thing, Victoria. Where at?"

"Upstairs," Victoria replied. "Don't worry, Belly-Button. I won't borrow her for long."

"Take your time," I said, blowing Alice a kiss. "I'll just chill here with Cynthia."

They disappeared upstairs and I relaxed into the couch. On one hand, my body was a little fatigued and resting was nice, but my mind was filled with countless thoughts relating to the wolves and the Thornes. And then there was Leah. I couldn't get the idea out of my head that she wanted to become a vampire out of the blue; it boggled me. On one hand, I understood how she felt, but at the same time...she didn't understand what she was asking for.

"Bella?" Cynthia said, breaking me from my thought process eventually.

I turned to face her. "Yes, Cynthia?"

"May I ask a question?"

"Of course," I replied. "You can ask me anything."

"How's Leah?"

The question surprised me, but not for too long. "She's okay."

Cynthia smiled. "You're lying, Bella. I know you are. I knew Alice was lying to me every time I asked her what was wrong back when I didn't know she could see the future. And I knew my parents were lying to me when they sent Alice to that damned asylum. I've been around lies all my life, most of which were bad and for the wrong reason. I can tell you're doing it for the right reason, but please, don't sugarcoat it. How is she?"

I ran a hand through my hair silently, then looked her in the eyes and answered. "I don't know what to tell you, Cynthia. She was hurt pretty badly during the attack and she lost her mother and little brother. She actually asked Carlisle and Esme to turn her, and I'm damn certain it has to do with her wanting vengeance. I can understand her desire for revenge, but asking them that kind of question without thinking it through…I'm not sure what to think."

Cynthia pursed her lips. "Damn. That really stinks."

"It does," I said. "I can't say that I blame her for wanting to be turned, though. She probably sees this as a chance to become super strong and get the power necessary for revenge."

"I would want it," Cynthia said. "If anything happened to Alice…" Her voice trailed off and I grimaced. I didn't want to think about such a thing. "I would want payback. I would go after everyone involved and kill them as slowly and painfully as possible. I love my little sister. Nobody fucks with her." She scowled. "That's why I've started wishing that I…"

"Was a vampire?" I finished.

"Yes," she replied. "At first, I wasn't sure about it. I mean, yeah, it sounded cool, and I did want to be with my sister, to protect her for eternity. I knew she'd want me to be a vampire, too, and I'm a sucker for making sure she's happy. But then I thought about this whole situation with the Thornes and whatnot, and how Alice could get hurt. What if I was the only one who could stop that from happening, but I couldn't? What if I wasn't fast enough? Strong enough?

"I thought about all these things and I realized that becoming a vampire was the better option. I get that it's a double-edged sword, believe me. I've been told about so many different bad things, I'm a little paranoid about it, but I don't care. I want to be able to protect Alice. And I want to be able to fight alongside all of you. You're my family now, and I really want to become closer to all of you." Her eyes met mine and she reached out to take my hand. "Especially you, Bella.

"You've made my sister happier than she's ever been, although I do feel like you two haven't been spending enough time together. Either way, I owe you a lot for what you've done for my sister, and I aim to repay that some day." She smiled. "So thank you."

I was stunned by her words on all fronts. Her comment about Alice and I not spending much time together was certainly true, but to hear her willingly state that she would become a vampire to fight for her sister, while not surprising, was extremely touching. She knew better than Leah what becoming a vampire meant. She'd seen it and heard about it, and yet she would throw her life away if it meant being able to protect Alice. It made me smile.

I wrapped my arm around Cynthia's shoulders and she scooted in to hug me. "Thank you, Cynthia. That was…well, awesome. I appreciate it. And you."

"I'm glad," Cynthia replied. "If you didn't appreciate me, I'd be disappointed."

I snickered. "You don't have to worry about that, trust me."

"I hope not," she said, winking. "Otherwise, when I become a vampire, I'll have to kick your ass. Not too much, I promise, but just enough to get my point across." She smirked and I snickered again, although I knew she meant what she said. "And that goes doubly if you—"

"Cynth, she's not going to hurt me," Alice said as she re-entered the room. "And I'll kick_ both_ your asses if either of you get hurt in any way, got it?"

Cynthia and I shared a look. "We can just tickle her into submission," Cynthia said.

"Very true," I replied.

"Hey!" Alice huffed, scowling. She walked over and plopped down between Cynthia and I, her arms crossed as she glared forward without looking at her sister or myself. Cynthia and I shared another look and giggled before I leaned in and pressed my lips to Alice's cheek.

"C'mon, Ali," I said. "Don't pout."

She sighed and rested her head on my shoulder. "Esme's going to call in a few minutes. She'll be home in half an hour. I tried to see when Carlisle and Jasper will be back, but I don't know. Their future is fuzzy because they haven't made any concrete decisions yet. I did catch them speaking to a group of Quileutes. That's about it, though."

"Thanks for the update," I said. "Any news on Leah's condition?"

"She's unconscious, but she'll be okay," Alice replied, pursing her lips.

"Good," Cynthia replied.

"Belly-Button!" Rosalie said from upstairs. "Your turn in the shower!"

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, _mom_."

"Why does Rosalie get so bothered over the smell?" Cynthia asked. "I can't smell anything."

"She has a very sensitive nose," I replied. "The most sensitive nose out of our whole family, actually, to the point where strong smells can cause her pain. That's why the smell of the wolves bothers her the most out of all of us. Sure we complain, because it's not the nicest smell, and we do use it as an insult towards the wolves in a heated moment. But for Rose, it actually hurts her nose, so any trace of it in the house is a bad thing for her."

"Oh," Cynthia said. She and Alice looked genuinely surprised. "I had no idea."

"Neither did I," Alice replied. "Is that why she…interrupted us before?"

"Yes, unfortunately," I replied. "I don't know how I forgot about it until now."

"Hey!" Rosalie shouted. "Less yapping, more showering Bella!"

I stood up. "Yeah, yeah, I'm going."

I sped upstairs as the phone rang and jumped into the shower. By the time I was out, Rosalie, Victoria and Emmett were all downstairs and I joined them in playing video games, which Alice and Cynthia took part in. Just as Alice had said, Esme eventually returned home and informed us of Leah's condition at the hospital—unconscious, but stable—then asked about Carlisle and Jasper. Alice replied that they would be home soon.

When Carlisle and Jasper finally walked in the door, the TV was shut off and the family room grew quiet as Carlisle and Jasper took their seats. Carlisle looked sad as he sat beside Esme and Jasper didn't look particularly happy either.

"How was it, dear?" Esme asked.

"As good as it could be," Carlisle replied. "There were a great deal of wounded Quileutes that I helped with as best as I could. As I expected, many of them were not keen on our presence there, but they gradually came to ease up around us. We spoke with those who would be taking the place of the deceased council members, which included three wolves. Raina, the Alpha, was adamant on holding a funeral tomorrow for the dead, then pledged their support in going after and getting revenge for their fallen. I told them we would do whatever we could."

"And we will," Esme replied. "Should we transfer more of them to the hospital?"

"Jasper and I helped bring several who were in grave need of medical attention to the hospital," Carlisle replied. "We had to make up an excuse for what happened and decided to say that there was a massive fire at La Push, a cover story that Raina and the others agreed with."

"We need to formulate a strategy to deal with the Thornes," Jasper said.

"Agreed," I said.

"I also agree," Esme said. "At this moment, however, we should focus more on the problems we have at hand involving the attack on La Push and aiding the Quileutes. Once that's been dealt with and we've done all we can to help, then we can concentrate on the Thornes."

No one disagreed with decision, so our group broke apart and we went off to do our own things for the rest of the day. Carlisle made some calls on the phone, Esme went online to deal with our finances and the others went to their respective rooms. Alice and I remained downstairs for a while, although we ended up going to my room, where we spent the rest of the day kissing, cuddling and listening to music together. It was the best thing for us to do to ease our worries.

The following day, Carlisle and Esme left to go to the hospital while most of us remained home. Victoria and Jasper had gone out to hunt, however, leaving only Alice, Emmett, Rosalie and myself at home. Rosalie and Emmett were "preoccupied" in their room, but I wasn't sure where Alice and Cynthia were. I assumed they were upstairs talking, which was fine by me. I was downstairs, pacing around, lost in my own thoughts until I decided to go outside.

The weather was beautiful today. The sun was out, there were only a handful of clouds and a faint breeze caressed my body as I stepped out onto the porch. It was…pleasant. However, even the nice weather wasn't enough to make me feel better given everything that had happened the day before. I couldn't stop thinking about the bodies, Raina, Leah, the knowledge that we hadn't done much of anything to help the Quileutes and the smells. Yes. The smells were the worst.

Not the wolf smell, no, the reek of death. It was stuck in my mind. It made me cringe.

_Damn it_, I thought. _Just…damn it._ With a sigh, I turned back and walked inside, but before I closed the door, I smelled something familiar that caused me to stop.

The scent of wolf hit my nostrils and I turned my head to see a clothed Raina somberly walk towards me, Sam and Emily following close behind. They stopped several inches away from the door and I motioned for them to come inside, since there was no reason to keep them out. Raina nodded and they entered our house in a hurry before coming to stop and stand in the middle of our family room, looking a bit uncomfortable and a little awkward.

"Hey," I said, trying to break the tension.

"Hello," Sam replied. "Are Carlisle and Esme Cullen here?"

"They're at the hospital right now with Leah and several other patients," I replied. "If you want, I can call them and see if they can come and meet you later?"

"That won't be necessary," Raina replied. "We just wanted to thank them again." She bit her lip. "And…to ask if they wished to come to the vigil we're holding tonight, in honor of all the lives we lost. Not everyone was thrilled when I admitted I was going to come and ask them, but I felt that it was something I should do since they did help us out in the end. Not that you and your siblings didn't, it's just that…they…they, um…"

"It's okay, Raina," Emily whispered, placing her hand on Raina's shoulder.

"I'm sure they would be honored to attend if you still wish them to," I said, bowing my head.

"Only if it isn't an inconvenience," Raina replied. "And I'm not trying to forget about the rest of you, I just feel that too many vampires would be a bad idea given what just happened."

"Thank you," I said. "It means a lot for you to come and offer. And believe me, I understand."

Raina nodded and met my eyes for a moment, then turned around. "We should be going. If they can't make, I understand. Thank you. I…right now, I'm just not in a talkative mood."

"Take care," I said, and after Sam and Emily nodded to me, they ran off just as quickly as they'd come. I closed the door after them, turned the ceiling fan on and sprayed some air freshener, since I knew Rosalie or someone else would complain about the smell left behind. It didn't bother me all that much, truth be told. It stunk, but still. Now wasn't the time to act that way.

"Bella?" Alice entered the room, yawning. "What happened?"

"Raina stopped by and said that Carlisle and Esme were invited to the funeral tonight," I replied.

"They'll go," Alice said after tilting her head to the side for a moment. "Do you think it's a good idea for them to go? I can't see that far ahead with the wolves. It's…weird." She frowned. "They're a bit harder for me to look into for some reason. I can still see their future, it's just sometimes difficult. It's annoying."

I gave her an inquisitive look. "Why's that, I wonder?"

"No clue," she replied. "But it's annoying as hell."

I smiled and wrapped my arms around her. "Ali?"

"Yes?"

"Once this blows over, I'm going to treat you to the best day of your life, I promise," I replied, thinking about Cynthia's words when we'd talked. "I mean it."

She stared into my eyes and smiled. "Bells, not to sound horribly cheesy, but every day I'm with you is my best day. I caught what Cynthia said to you, and I disagree. I get that you've been busy and you've had a lot on your mind lately. That's fine. I don't expect you to wait hand and foot on me just to make sure I'm pampered. I will admit that I've been craving some private time with you, but I can be patient. So don't sweat it, okay?"

I sighed. "Okay. But still, I want to treat you."

"Good," Alice replied. "A treat every now and again is greatly appreciated." She winked.

I laughed. "I love you, Ali."

"I love you too, Belly-Button," she replied, giggling. "That's still a funny nickname."

"Hush," I said, rolling my eyes. "Let's go snuggle upstairs for awhile."

A week and a half passed by after the funeral at La Push, and both Carlisle and Esme were gone frequently, Carlisle working long shifts at the hospital on both regular patients and the Quileute patients he'd administered, Leah included, while Esme either helped him or spent her days on La Push, helping the remaining Quileutes in any way she could.

Our family had donated a ton of money to the Quileutes to make reparations to the buildings and homes that had been destroyed during the attack and more. None of us cared since the money usually went to charities anyways, although we did pitch in to help support.

By the end of the week, La Push was looking better and the wounded were healing up nicely. Only Leah and three others remained hospitalized due to their injuries, although Alice informed us that they would be released soon, including Leah. But that brought up a big issue: Leah's desire to become a vampire. We hadn't discussed it, yet it seemed inevitable.

"I don't know what to do," Esme said. "I feel for the poor dear, and I truly wish to help, but is she really in the right mind set to be turned right now?"

"I don't believe so," Carlisle replied sadly. "If we did turn her, she would become obsessed with her own vengeance, and there's no telling what that would do to her psyche."

"She needs to settle down and mourn her losses," Esme said. "Once she's had that time, then we can discuss with her the implications of becoming a vampire. Of course, we must also bring this up with Raina and the new council, since we're still bound by their treaty and the last thing we want to do is lose the Quileutes as allies after just regaining their full trust."

"I can go talk to her," I offered.

They both looked at me. "Are you certain?" Carlisle asked.

"It might be…better if it's me," I said. "I know, to an extent, how she feels. If anything, I can bring out that pain that she needs to face first before we talk about her wish, if she even remembers wanting to become a vampire at all."

"You're hoping she won't," Esme said. "I'm almost certain she will."

"I know," I replied. "It's worth a shot."

It wasn't that I didn't want Leah to become a vampire. The thought was actually thrilling to me, because it meant that I would have a new sister, and I loved the idea. But what Carlisle had said was the truth, and that worried me greatly.

"If that's what you wish to do, then so be it," Carlisle replied. "I'm going to the hospital to take care of some new patients, but I'll inform the nurses that you may visit Leah. Up until now, the only visitors she's had are Emily, Sam and Raina. I don't know if they've spoken, as I haven't asked, but that's not important."

"Do you want me to tag along, dear?" Esme asked, glancing at me.

I shook my head. "No, but thank you."

She nodded. "Very well then. I will run some errands, then I'll stop at the hospital to help."

I nodded and, after hugging and kissing Alice, jumped into my car and drove off to the hospital. It wasn't long before I was inside, heading to Leah's room. When I arrived, she was lying in bed, asleep, so I simply sat down in a chair by her bed and opted to wait until she woke up—I knew she would, because Alice had informed me of it before I left.

I sat in silence, wondering if Leah would forget about her request before Esme brought her. I considered whether or not being here was a good idea, for that matter, because if she did remember, she might ask me to turn her, which I wouldn't be able to do. And yet, I couldn't bring myself to leave; I felt like it was somehow my duty to soothe Leah and talk to her about what happened and, if need be, her desire to become a vampire. She had to understand.

_It's a one way street_, I thought. _Leah has to grasp that. Wanting revenge…she'll end up no better than I am with what I'm going through in regards to Edward. I don't want that for her._

Leah finally started to stir and I waited patiently for her to awaken. After a few minutes, she sat up and groaned before slowly glancing in my direction. She blinked, then frowned, as if she wasn't certain if I was real or not. I gave her a tiny smile and a slight wave to show that I was really there, which seemed to relax her a bit, although her frown remained in place.

"How do you feel, Leah?" I asked. The silence had been getting to me for some reason.

"Like shit," she replied.

_That's expected._ "I'm sorry. I wish we'd gotten there sooner."

"It can't be changed," she replied. "Well, not necessarily…"

I grimaced. "We'll get them back, Leah. The remaining pack members are going to regroup and we'll work together to kill the sons of bitches responsible, I swear it."

"And what about me?" she asked.

"What about you?" I replied.

"Don't bullshit me, Bella," Leah said. "I know the reason you came here was to find out if I'd changed my mind. I haven't. I still want to become a vampire."

"You make it sound like I didn't come here because I cared about you," I said, scowling. "Or that Alice and Cynthia care about you and were worried about you. Yes, I am concerned about your desires, but that's on the back of my mind, Leah. Your life and health are more important to me because you're my friend, just as you're a friend to my mate and her sister."

"I appreciate that, really," Leah said, pushing her body upright while I moved closer. "But my mind has been made up: I really, truly want to become a vampire."

"So you can get your revenge," I said.

"Damn right," Leah replied, growling under her breath.

I was stunned. She'd just lost her mother and her brother, not to mention people that were likely friends and family, and here she was asking to be turned so she could driven solely by her desire for revenge. Did she not realize what she was saying? Was she unaware of everything that had happened? I didn't understand. Was it her mind trying to shield her from the pain she knew she'd feel if she actually dwelled on everything? That, I could see. But it wasn't good either way.

I thought about myself and what I'd become because of my desire to kill Edward. It had changed me for the worst, and I knew it. My temper, my confidence, my insecurities…they'd all gotten me into series trouble on more than one occasion and nearly cost me my life. Recent events, primarily my last run in with Edward in which Adira froze me in a huge block of ice, helped make that realization ring true. Leah would suffer the same fate if she stayed on that path.

I couldn't let that happen. No, it wasn't my business to get involved with Leah's feelings and I knew I'd have to resort to some tactics that didn't fall far from things Edward would do—and had done—to me in the past, but this was no ordinary decision she was making. Becoming a vampire was not a walk in the park. It had a lot of downsides. And if Leah was turned and she made vengeance her only purpose, it would destroy her.

I sighed. "You're an idiot, Leah."

She flinched. "What?"

"You heard me," I replied, glaring at her. I knew this was going to sting, but I went with it anyways, because I also knew it would work. "You're sitting in a hospital bed and all you can think about is becoming a vampire so you can get revenge. Revenge for what, exactly? For getting your ass handed to you? For what happened to your people? For your mother and brother? Why do you really want to become a vampire at this very moment, Leah Clearwater?"

She glared right back at me as my words pierced through the bubble she'd likely projected over her mind to shield herself from letting everything soak in. I saw the rage and the pain, which I could tell she was pushing aside. "Who the fuck are you to ask me about my choice?"

I gently grabbed her shirt and moved so my face was closer. "I'm the person who's reminding you of everything you just lost, you dumbass." I held her gaze and saw the turmoil flash in her eyes, along with her rage. "Has any of it even resonated with you yet? Have you bothered to dwell on the fact that your little brother and mother are gone? Because they are, Leah. They're dead. You're never going to see them again. Ever."

"Stop it," she said, gritting her teeth. I could see the fury building, as well as the pain. "I—"

"No, Leah," I said. "I'm sorry, but you have to hear this, because if you don't, you'll regret it. You haven't mourned your losses yet. You're so hell bent on this idiotic idea you've got that you've practically pushed everything else aside. That's not wise, Leah. I doubt your family would appreciate that notion, either. In fact, I doubt any of the people who died would. They were your tribe, Leah. Your friends. Your family. And you're just ignoring them.

"Do you have any idea what you're asking us to do? You're asking us to strip your humanity away so that you can live for eternity knowing that your family is dead, your friends were slaughtered and that you, Leah Clearwater, walked away from it all. Do you have any idea how selfish you sound? How stupid and childish you're acting? Or do you really not care?"

Moisture was building in her eyes and Leah's body began to tremble. "Shut up! Shut the fuck up, you bitch!" She thrashed her arms and tried to grab me, but I leapt back before she could. Her injuries got the best of her and she whimpered as she fell backwards. "Damn you…I do care! How could I not?! That's why I want…that's why…"

"That's why you're asking us to turn you, even though you don't understand what will happen to you the moment you become a vampire?" I asked. "No matter what, the knowledge that your loved ones are dead will haunt you forever. Nothing will change that. But to make matters worse, you could put someone else in your shoes by mistake. Our bloodlust is something we struggle with every single day, no matter how old and experienced we are."

Venom pooled into my mouth at that very moment, but I swallowed it down. I wasn't thirsty. Meanwhile, tears had started streaming down Leah's face and I could see that my words were hitting their mark. She had to understand. But first, she had to let her emotions out. Holding onto them, which I knew she was doing, would tear her apart from the inside.

"I'm not trying to hurt you, Leah," I said softly, moving back to her bedside. "I'm just trying to help you. Don't hold in your emotions. Let them out."

Leah continued to tremble and she sputtered as she struggled to form the right words, but in the end, she grabbed onto my shirt and burst into tears. I merely held her as she sobbed into my shirt, holding her as gently as I could to mind her injuries and whispering my apologies to her every now and again. She cried for a long while until she ultimately passed out.

My heart ached for her as I laid her back down. "I'm sorry," I whispered. "I truly am."

I pulled the blankets of her bed up, made certain she was comfy, then sighed and exited her room. Just as I did, I ran into Carlisle, who was standing a few feet away from me. Our eyes met and I saw the sadness in them, so I knew he'd heard some—or all—of what I'd said to Leah.

"What do we do, Carlisle?" I asked.

"I'm uncertain," he replied, gesturing for me to walk with him. He began to speak in a quick, quiet voice that only I would be able to pick up. "As I said before, I'm not against turning her with Esme, but I want her to be mentally prepared for what's to come. And even if we do turn her, we'll have to take her to Alaska so she'll be more isolated from humans. That will make training her thirst easier. Of course, we have to call Carmen and Eleazar first to ask."

"I doubt they'd mind," I said, thinking about it. "I mean, it's not like they do much else up there anyways, right? It's Alaska. Nothing happens in Alaska."

Carlisle gave a faint chuckle. "I wouldn't say that, dear, but that's true enough, I suppose." His smile dropped, however. "We will need the permission of the wolves beforehand."

"I know," I replied. "Do you think they'll allow it?"

"I don't know," Carlisle said. "We should save that for another time, though. Bringing it up now would be a bad idea, I think. For the time being, we'll simply monitor Leah's health, give her space so that she can mourn and, when the time comes—if it does—deal with this situation to the best of our abilities. And if Leah wishes to become a vampire, then so be it."

I smiled a little as we stopped. "I wouldn't mind having Leah in the family. I know we could never replace the family she lost, but…I'd still want to be there for her."

Carlisle smiled and kissed my forehead. "I'm glad you feel that way."

Esme appeared at that moment and came over to hug and kiss each of us. "How was it, Bella?"

"As good as it could be, I guess," I replied. "I think I'm going to head home."

"Alright," Esme replied. "We'll see you back at the house in several hours and—"

My phone started to ring before she could finish and I pulled it out. "Hello?"

"_We've got a bit of a problem,"_ Rosalie said.

"And what's that?" I asked, thinking it was probably something silly.

Rosalie, however, was dead serious. _"We have wolves approaching. But they're not Raina."_

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

"_It's her brother,"_ Rosalie replied. _"He's coming here with reinforcements to kill us."_

**A/N: I'd like to send a special thanks to Marcus S. Lazarus and AleinWonderland for looking this over for me. **

**So, Leah's thoughts are up in the air, La Push has been wounded and now Jacob wants vengeance. Fun time.**

**Oh yes. A special shout out to apdarkness905. Check out his story Winter's Grip. It's set in the same universe as my Blood Solstice is, and I'd love if you gals/guys could give him a boost in confidence and maybe even help him beta his work. He's got the heart and the talent and I want him to succeed. **


	59. Struggles

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight saga. I own my characters and ideas only.**

**Struggles**

I drove like a maniac back to the house after Rosalie had called, not even caring that I was running red lights. I was careful enough to avoid pedestrians and other cars, but if I saw none, I didn't bother stopping or caring. I had to get there and _fast_.

Within minutes I was back at the house, skidding into the driveway and pulling my car to a halt, but when I jumped out, I could already smell wolf. However, it was further away, and one quick whiff told me that my siblings were close by. Alice and Cynthia, thankfully, were inside the house, and while I wanted to run in and check on them, I knew they'd know better than to come outside, so I pushed myself in the direction of my siblings.

They weren't far. In fact, they were only a minute away, all of them standing and facing the group of growling, snarling wolves several feet away. There were five of them total, equaling our number, and I recognized the one in front as Jacob Black, Raina's brother. His body was tense and rage was practically pouring out of him as he snapped at us.

"What'd I miss?" I asked, standing beside Rosalie and watching the angry wolves.

"Not much," Rosalie replied. "This is all they've been doing for the past few minutes."

"Hey, are you mutts going to flap your jaws all damn day or are we going to fight?" Emmett demanded, pounding his fists together. "Come on! Do something!"

"Emmett!" I hissed for only him and my siblings to hear. "We're trying to avoid fighting the wolves, remember? Don't egg them on."

"Sorry," he said. "Old habit."

The wolves merely growled and remained where they were, Jacob growling the loudest. What were they waiting for? They wanted to attack us, I was well aware of the fact, and yet, they weren't, as if they were being held back by something. Raina? I didn't see or smell her if she was the one preventing it, and if that were the case, the wolves would be acting differently.

Suddenly, Jacob's body began to twitch and convulse until he shifted into human form. I expected him to be enraged and immediately start shouting at us, but to my surprise the look on his face was…painful to see. His looked broken and devastated, and enraged as well, so I knew he was taking the loss of his father and so many of his people hard. And while I did sympathize with him, I doubted he was here for a positive reason.

"What do you want, Jacob Black?" Rosalie asked. She looked at me as she spoke for a brief moment, and I could tell she was forcing the politeness she used. "Why are you here?"

He twitched as the other wolves continued growling. "Shut it, all of you!" They quieted within seconds and his anger-filled eyes stared back at us. "I want answers, _Cullens_." He spat our name out with disdain. "Who the fuck attacked La Push? Why did they attack us? What do you know and what aren't you telling us?" He growled quietly. "I know you spoke with Raina. I know you did something during the fight. But I find it very convenient that you showed up so late while my people were nearly slaughtered. I'm not leaving until I find out the truth."

"What exactly are you expecting to find out?" Jasper asked. "That we were involved with what happened? Is that the answer you're hoping for or the answer you're going to stick with regardless of what we say? And don't try to lie, either. Your emotions give everything away."

Jasper had a point, but I kept myself from saying it. I watched Jacob instead. "Funny," he said, his eyes darkening slightly. "You look at me and think that I'm the bad guy, don't you? You think because I don't bow and kiss your damned feet that I should be looked down on, is that it? Fuck that. You're bloodsucking monsters. You've murdered innocent people. You don't _care_ about humans or anyone but yourselves! Why should I respect you? _Like_ you? I shouldn't!"

He took a step forward and jabbed a finger at us. "Look at you! You stand there all high and mighty, not knowing a damn thing about what we're going through! We lost our tribe to your kind. My father is dead! One of my best friends is dead! We nearly _all_ died!"

His voice quaked with anger and pain, and for the first time since I'd met him, I actually realized that there was far more to him than I'd ever thought. I…felt for him. I thought back to everything Raina had said about what happened to their mother. Now, with his father and so many others dead, including a friend of his—who I believed to be Embry since he wasn't there—what reasons did Jacob have for staying with his sister?

_Crap_, I thought. _I don't want that to happen._

"Your anger is understandable," Jasper said calmly, and I could feel a wave of calmness slowly emanating from him. "I apologize for my earlier statement."

"I don't want your damned apologies!" Jacob shouted. "No. Those don't matter. They won't make amends for what happened and they won't change anything." He calmed down slightly, but the blazing pain remained in his eyes. "Answer me, leeches. Tell me the truth."

Victoria growled and stepped forward. "You want the truth? We had nothing to do with what happened on La Push! Nothing! We didn't even know your people were being attacked until we were informed by someone who can see the future. After that, we rushed in to help because it was the right thing to do, but by the time we got there, most of the damage had been done.

"You want to know who you should really be mad at? Be angry at the Thorne coven, _they're_ the ones responsible for what happened to your people. _They_ orchestrated the attack. Stop pointing the finger at us and band together to go after them." She finished with a light huff. "Honestly, we know you wolves have good noses. You should have picked up unfamiliar scents that didn't belong to us or the dead vamps. There's your answer."

The other wolves quieted down while Jacob stared blankly at us. A few of them growled amongst themselves and by looking at their eyes, a handful of them seemed to take Victoria's words for being true. It was a bit hard to tell, but none of the wolves looked like they didn't believe what Victoria had said. Still, none of us moved or spoke. We waited.

"So." Jacob's lips twitched. "You're telling me that the bloodsuckers responsible are a different coven that you knew about…but you didn't bother telling us?"

"I told Raina," I replied. "I told her all that I knew about them. She must have told you."

One of the wolves, a female one by the looks, grunted in response and when Jacob glanced down at her, she nodded her giant head as though she were agreeing with me.

"Fine," Jacob said after a moment. "So this is because of some other coven that's still out there, laughing about what they did to us." The other wolves growled at this. "Maybe I believe you. But that doesn't excuse your absence for when the attack happened, and it sure as hell doesn't forgive the fact that you didn't kill these sons of bitches _beforehand_. Something doesn't add up."

"Dude, if you're here to fight us, let's get it over with," Emmett said.

"Hush, Em," I said.

"He's right," Rosalie said. "That's why they came here. They have no interest in being civil no matter what they say. Isn't that right, Black?" He narrowed his eyes. "That's what I thought."

"Don't act so high and mighty, leech," Jacob said. "As if you could ever defeat all of us. We'd kill you before you got the chance. And you know what? I came here wanting to show that I'm the bigger man. I wanted to keep an open mind and let you tell your side of things rather than simply kill you. And what you're telling me is nothing but crap. Your excuses mean nothing to me, you got that? And do you want to know what I think about your attempts at being 'peaceful?'"

"It doesn't matter," said a familiar voice. Raina. She was walking swiftly towards Jacob, giving him an anger-filled look that made him grimace. "Jacob, what did I specifically tell you about coming here to the Cullen house? I asked you not to. I told you there was no point. And the rest of you! What the hell are you doing following him?" She shot a look at the other wolves, most of whom whimpered. "I'm the Alpha. Does that not mean anything to any of you?"

"They came because they agree with me," Jacob said. "After what happened to our tribe, we're all sick of vampires living by us, so we came here to put a stop to it!"

"Is that so?" Rosalie asked. "You claimed to be here for answers."

"Shut up," Jacob said. "My reasons don't matter, the reality does."

"That doesn't even make sense," Victoria said.

"Enough of this," Raina said. "All of you, get back to La Push." None of the wolves budged.

"Why are you making us leave?" Jacob asked. "Why don't we just kill these damned vampires here and now? I don't care that they weren't the ones who attacked La Push, they're the reason those other vampires probably did. Isn't that enough of a reason?"

"Jacob, I'm not going to break the treaty," Raina said. "The Cullens helped us and they've pledged themselves as our allies. Stop being bitter and stupid, little brother."

"Bitter and stupid?" Jacob said. "What the fuck are you talking about?" He got into his sister's face. "Do you have any idea how I've felt these past years? Do you? You claim to, but I doubt it, Raina. You don't know because you don't care. I'm the only one who remembers how our lives were before vampires! I'm the only one that cares! I won't stand for this anymore, Raina! Our people deserved better than what they got and it's all because of these damned vampires!"

Raina twitched. "Don't, Jacob."

"Don't what?" Jacob asked. "Speak my mind? Tell you the truth? Why? Because you know that I'm right and you're wrong? Face it, Raina! You've become soft! This isn't what our ancestors wanted when they became shifters! They wanted to protect the humans around them and eradicate all vampires from existence. And letting these monsters live isn't doing that! You've gone against the old ways and look what's happened because of it!"

"Shut up." Raina glowered at him.

"No!" Jacob shouted. "I won't be ignored, Raina! This has to be said! This is your fault and I want you to feel what I feel! You need to open your eyes, Raina, because otherwise—"

"_**Shut up!"**_ Raina bellowed, slamming her left fist into Jacob's throat. He gagged and fell to the ground, but before he could get up, Raina brought her foot down on his chest. Hard. "I have heard _**enough**_ out of you, Jacob Ephraim Black!" She let out a roar and all the wolves fell to their knees immediately, including Jacob, who looked stunned. Raina was seething and I couldn't help but take a few steps back when I saw the fury in her eyes.

"R-Raina, I—" Raina snarled and Jacob's mouth shut.

"_**No**_," Raina said. "Do you honestly think that I_ don't_ know how you feel? Do you? Have you lost yourself so much in your own bitterness and loathing that you honestly_**think**_that I don't _**hurt like you**_?!" She paused and took in a deep, slow breath. "I love you, Jacob. I have always loved you and that will never changed, but I am tired of this. I am tired of constantly fighting with you over every decision I make, regardless if vampires are a part of the equation. Why must you fight me?"

Jacob slowly got to his feet. "Because you're wrong, Raina. You've been wrong from the start. You shouldn't have been the Alpha, _I_ should have." Raina said nothing as Jacob walked up to her, holding her gaze and ignoring the rest of us. "I do love you, sis. I know I don't say it or act like it, but I do. How could I not? You were always there for me, no matter how much of an ass I was. But no matter how much I love you, I love our people more. And you're the wrong choice.

"That's why I fought with you so much; to prove that you're not cut out for this. You don't have enough hate in you. You've been blinded by the false promises and manipulations of the vampires, and it's changed you, Raina. It's made you weak. Vulnerable. If _I_ had been the Alpha, I would have driven these damned vampires out years ago or killed them!" He jabbed his finger in our direction again. "It's their fault, Raina!"

Raina's hands were clenched tightly into fists, but she spoke surprisingly calm. "Jacob, I don't care what you think about the job I've done. I don't care much about any of your opinions, because they're yours to have. But I will not idly stand by while you badmouth everything I've helped do for our pack, regardless of my errors. I know I've fucked up. I don't need you to tell me given how often _you've_ screwed up. And you are _not _better for Alpha, Jake. Not even close."

Jacob laughed bitterly. "You can't accept the truth, Raina."

Raina sighed. "I'm not going to do this, Jacob. Not here, not now. Dad wouldn't want this. Just go back to La Push and we'll talk it over later, without the fighting and insults, okay?"

"You don't get it, Raina," Jacob said. "I'm not going back."

"What?" Raina asked.

None of us said anything. The wolves looked down at the ground. Jacob smiled. "I'm leaving La Push, Raina. Everyone here has decided to come with me. We've all lost loved ones because of vampires, and we're fed up with the way things are. I have the Alpha blood in me. I'm a Black, just like you. And while I can't be the Alpha of your pack, I can be the Alpha of mine. So that's what I'm gonna do. You can't stop me. Don't even try."

Raina's mouth fell open and I was stunned. "You…you're joking, right?" Raina asked.

"No," Jacob said, his smile dropping. "I'm not."

"Why?" Raina asked.

"I told you," Jacob said.

Raina's lips twitched. "You're a fool, Jacob. You have no idea what you're doing."

"Yes I do!" Jacob shouted. "Stop treating me like I'm a child, Raina! I'm not. Not anymore."

"Jacob." Raina's calmness dissipated and I saw the panic all over her face. "Jake." She stepped up to him, towering over him, but still vulnerable. "Don't do this."

Jacob's eyes flashed with something in them. Pain? Remorse? "I'm sorry, Raina," he whispered, so quietly, I almost didn't hear. "But I don't have a choice."

"Jacob," Raina said. I could see the moisture building her eyes. "Baby brother, please!"

Jacob rubbed his eyes. "I'm sorry, big sis. Goodbye."

His body exploded into wolf form and with a loud, pained howl, he ran off, the other wolves following behind him. A few hesitated and shot looks at us and Raina, but they too ran off and the area fell quiet. I couldn't believe what had just taken place, and when I glanced at my siblings, I could see that none of them could either.

Raina stared off into the direction Jacob had gone in and I could tell that she was in pain. I considered going over to her, just to lightly touch her, but Rosalie took my hand and shook her head as though she knew what I was thinking. We waited for several minutes and Raina didn't speak or move. Finally, the silence became too much for me to handle.

"Raina?" I whispered.

She didn't look at me. "I have to go." She exploded into wolf form and dashed off without another word and I turned to look at my siblings.

"Well shit," Emmett said. "I didn't see that coming."

"So now the pack has broken in two," Rosalie said. "Lovely."

"We should inform Carlisle and Esme," Jasper said.

"Agreed," said Victoria.

We returned to the house and Rosalie called Esme while I called Carlisle and we told them about what was going on. They were concerned, naturally, and said that we would hold a meeting about it later on when they'd finished with work. Once the calls were finished, Rosalie, Victoria and I went to hunt while Emmett and Jasper watched over the house, Alice and Cynthia. When we returned, the boys went, and after, we simply sat around until our parents returned.

When Carlisle and Esme walked in through the door, we turned the television off and everyone sat down, forming a circle as usual. Carlisle and Esme looked worried as they seated themselves, and for a while, no one spoke. Cynthia was the one to break the silence.

"How's Leah?" Cynthia asked, glancing at Carlisle and Esme.

"She's alright," Esme replied. "Her body has healed and it looks as if she's recovered from a good amount of the trauma, although I don't dare say she's recovered completely. The poor thing has gone through too much for that. We plan on releasing her tomorrow, although neither of are certain where she'll be going. La Push is still in the process of being rebuilt and…"

"It may be too painful for her to be there," Carlisle said. "We'll broach the subject when we see her again." He paused for a moment. "There's also the topic of her desire to become a vampire, something I'm sure most of you are curious about. She hasn't spoken about it. I don't know if she's forgotten or pushed it aside, or if she's planning on bringing it up another time. Either way, Esme and I have been thinking a lot about it. That's why we decided on the meeting tonight."

"There are several reasons, actually," Esme replied. "Leah is one of them. The wolves happen to be a second and the third is Alice and Cynthia." She smiled at both girls. "I suppose moving would be the fourth and final subject, although that's regardless of whether or not all these transformations occur in the near future or the distant future."

"Crap, we're moving already?" Emmett asked. "It feels like we just moved!"

"It's been a few years, dear," Esme replied. "We realize that many of you planned on living here for several more years and attending college. Unfortunately, given the recent vampire activity, the tensions with the wolves of La Push and the fact that we have two young ladies who wish to become vampires, it would be best if we left for isolation for several years."

"How many is several?" Alice asked, frowning.

Carlisle and Esme shared a brief look. "I would have to say ten or so," Carlisle said. "Perhaps even a little more for precautionary reasons given the nature of vampires after they've turned. We are not saying either of you would end up becoming crazed or anything of that sort, but it would be safer for us, yourselves and the innocents around you if we retreated from society for as long as necessary until you've learned to control your hunger."

"That makes sense," Cynthia replied. "How would we be trained, though?"

"There are several methods," Rosalie said. "You have to learn to live with the smell of human wafting into your nostrils twenty-four seven, as well learning how to resist blood. That will be the most difficult part. Expect a few casualties, girls. I don't like saying it, but it's true."

Alice and Cynthia flinched and Jasper and I shot her reproving looks. "Rosalie!" Esme shouted.

"That's not helping anything, Rose," Jasper said. "They already know that the bloodlust is a major struggle that all of us go through even now. Remind them—"

"Is the smart thing to do," Victoria said. "Without constant reminders and warnings, they might forget about it or push it out of their minds. It's not something that should ever be forgotten or taken lightly, however. Our thirst and constant desire for blood is one of the things that governs our nature and how we act. It's a curse as much as it is a blessing, and to openly desire to become a vampire means that they'll have to embrace both sides of it."

"Exactly," Rosalie agreed.

"We understand," Alice said. "Cynthia and I have talked about it, guys. We know what we're getting ourselves into." Her eyes met mine. "I know the dangers, and I'm aware of the sacrifices in making this choice. And…I don't want to hurt people, but if I do, I'll deal with it when the time comes. That may sound a bit harsh. It probably is. But right now, I don't care."

I took her hand and gave it a light squeeze. "Alice, it's not something—"

She cut me off with a quick kiss. "I know, Bells. In the end, I would much rather have blood on my hands and forever feel guilty for the things I do than not be with you. I love you, Bella. You're my world and I'd follow you into Hell if I had to." She smiled. "It's a bit cheesy, sure, but it's that simple. And nothing you say will change my mind."

"Or mine," Cynthia chimed. "We Brandon sisters are extremely stubborn."

I chuckled. "I've noticed. But that's fine. I happen to know plenty of stubborn people." I looked around the room at my siblings and my mother, most of whom rolled their eyes. "Hey, don't try to ignore it. You're all ten times more bullheaded than I am."

"You have your moments," Jasper said, snickering.

"That's putting it mildly," Victoria said. "She practically refuses to ever be reasonable when it's a dire situation, which is why she always gets her ass whooped."

I growled. "Shut up, Tori."

"Make me," Victoria replied.

"Girls," Carlisle said. "Save the rowdiness for later, please. Let us discuss our major issues, starting with the wolves of La Push and what to do concerning the split in their pack."

"How the hell did that happen, anyways?" Emmett asked. "I thought there could only be one Alpha and that you had to obey the Alpha's orders and shit. So how'd that punk-ass leave?"

"Raina explained to me once that the Black family has the potential to be Alpha in their blood at birth," I replied. "She said that Jacob could have broken apart from the pack years ago, but she and their father kept him in check. I guess with their father dead and his hatred of our kind at such a high level, he no longer felt the desire to remain loyal to her. So he split apart and took all the wolves that hate us or agree with him, or both, and left."

"Alice, have you seen anything about them?" Jasper asked.

Alice pursed her lips and frowned. "No. I saw them running west, but that was about it. Their future has become a bit blurry, so either they know what my ability is and they've figured out a way to stay in my blind spots, or they have no idea what to decide on. To be honest, even I'm not aware of the limits of my ability. I don't know. If I do see something, though…"

I pulled her into my arms. "It's okay, Ali. You don't have to strain yourself to try and see what they're up to. They may just run off and blow off steam, after all." I looked around and none of my family members looked convinced. Even _I_ wasn't convinced. "Or…not."

"Sorry, Belly-Button, but after what we saw, I'm doubting that," Rosalie replied. "Jacob Black made it clear that he despises us and he won't be getting over that hatred any time soon. He wants us dead or gone. He wants revenge. And in my opinion, it's not in his nature to simply brush his desire for vengeance aside. None of us would if we were in his position."

Emmett, Victoria, Alice and Cynthia nodded in agreement with her statement. "It is something we choose to do," Carlisle said. "It's not in our nature to be driven to hunt down and destroy someone we feel responsible for causing us pain. However, it is often what ends up happening, and I know from experience that it's the same for humans. Revenge is a poison."

"So what do we do about them?" I asked.

"If they come after us, what choice do we have aside from fighting them?" Victoria asked. "The wolves regenerate quickly and they're much stronger than we are, so killing them—"

"Tori, they're _kids_," I said.

"I'm well aware of that!" Victoria replied. "What else can we do? They want to kill us!"

"I…I know, but…" I grimaced. "Damn it."

"That's why moving might be the best option," Esme said. "If we pack our things and leave at a realistically quick enough rate, then we won't have to deal with this other pack." She glanced at Alice. "Alice, dear, I hate to ask this of you, but is it possible for you to glance into the future and see what would happen if we made the concrete decision to move soon?"

Alice nodded. "I can try." She closed her eyes and, for a few minutes, the whole room was silent. I felt Alice's body tense up and she twitched slightly as the time passed until her eyes shot open. "That's not good." She scowled. "I looked and…from what I could see, they would follow us regardless of where we went. Jacob wants us dead. He doesn't care what we did or didn't do."

"There's no chance of peace, then?" Carlisle asked, frowning.

"I'm not sure," Alice replied. "It's…it's hard to see all the details. I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Carlisle said. "We appreciate the effort, Alice. Thank you."

"So what, then?" Rosalie asked.

"I say we fight them and only kill them if necessary," Victoria said. "If they're going to come after us regardless of what we do, then fighting is our only choice. I don't want to kill a bunch of angry teenagers, but I don't want them to kill us, either."

"There are ways to win a fight without killing while making the point clear," Jasper said. "A few broken bones would make our point, would they not?"

"It kind of takes the fun out of it, but hey, if that's what works, I'm game," Emmett said. "I don't really care so long as I get to punch some wolves in the face."

"What about the wolves of La Push?" I asked. "I doubt they'd want us killing their people."

"Very true," Carlisle said. "We must speak with Raina when the time is right."

"I suppose that takes care of two subjects at once," Esme said, nodding. "Very well. I believe our next two subjects can be covered at the same time, and that deals with Cynthia and Alice, and Leah, and their desires to become vampires. I know I speak for Carlisle and myself when I say that we would welcome all three young women into our family with open arms. We have no problems with turning all of you, either, but it would be best to do so at different times."

"You wouldn't be able to turn Alice and I at the same time?" Cynthia asked. "I remember you mentioning it at some point, but I'm still a little lost as to why."

"Two newborns would be a lot to handle," Esme replied. "Given everything that's happened and will happen, the fact that we're so close to human society and the difficulties in dealing with newborn vampires as a whole, many things could happen, none of them good. It would be easier to turn you one at a time then take you to Alaska until you've learned self-control. Which reminds me…we should call Tanya and the others before we spring this on them, shouldn't we?"

"Of course," Carlisle said, chuckling a little. "Does that answer your question, Cynthia?"

"Yeah," Cynthia replied, glancing at Alice. "Guess I get to be vamped first."

"Lucky you," Alice said, sticking her tongue out.

"I'm curious to hear what the rest of you think of Leah Clearwater joining our family," Esme said, looking around the room. "The choice of being turned is ultimately hers so long as she understands what she'll be getting herself into, but I'd like to know your thoughts on adopting her into our family. I, for one, welcome it. I'm always happy to have a new family member."

Carlisle smiled. "I agree with Esme, of course. I would love to have Leah join our family, not to replace the family she lost, but to help her recover from her trauma and make her stronger. Our actions with Miss Clearwater will shape her actions in the future. And regardless of all that, I would never turn away someone in need. That is what I think."

"I'm not against it," Rosalie said. "It's the aftermath of her joining us that I'm more worried about given how newborns are. But…I don't know. I haven't met this girl myself, so I can't really give an honest opinion on how I feel."

"Hey, I say the more the merrier," Emmett said, grinning.

"As do I," Jasper said.

"I've got no problems with it," Victoria said, shrugging.

"I'd love for Leah to join us if she wants," I said. I felt for her after everything she'd been through and it was clear that she had a good friendship with Alice and Cynthia. I liked her, too. "Hell, I'd offer the same thing to anyone who was in need." I paused. "Well, I doubt anyone else would be asking to become a vampire, but you know what I mean."

"Yes, dear, we do," Esme said with a chuckle.

All of us turned to Cynthia and Alice—who had slid off my lap, but was still sitting close by me—for their responses since, for a few minutes, they said nothing. Alice merely smiled at me, but Cynthia looked relatively surprised by all of us looking at them.

"What?" Cynthia asked. "You…really want our opinions?"

"Of course," Carlisle said. "You're family, are you not?"

"Oh." Cynthia blinked and Alice's smile dropped as she turned to her sister. "Um, well, yes, I'd love for Leah to join your family…our family, I mean. She's a really cool, sweet girl and I'd hate to see her alone after what she went through." Cynthia looked down at her hands while Alice giggled and playfully nudged her, which made Cynthia smile.

"My answer should be obvious," Alice said. "I say hell yes!"

"Then it's decided," Carlisle said, smiling. "We'll inform Leah tomorrow and go from there. However, I feel that we should not rush it."

"He's right," Esme said. "Alice, Cynthia, you were both here first. Therefore, the decision is partly up to the two of you. But we can deal with this tomorrow once Leah knows all the facts. Is that alright, girls?" They both nodded and she smiled at them. "Meeting adjourned, then."

Tomorrow came fairly quickly. It was Monday now, and it amazed me how I'd completely forgotten about school. All of us had, in fact. Time had flown by and everything that happened had caused me to forget what day it was, but given the events that had befallen our family, Carlisle and Esme created a reasonable excuse and told the school we'd make up for the work we missed. Luckily, the principal allowed it.

Carlisle and Esme left for work while the rest of us remained home. I stayed with Alice the whole day, thinking about something for us to do that would be fun and romantic. Of course, doing so next to Alice was a bit difficult since she would often see what I was planning even before I'd solidified my plans.

"Alice, you're making this harder than it has to be," I said.

She giggled. She was lying next to me in my room. "Can't help it, Bells. Old habit."

"Well, try to help it," I said. "Or else."

She stared at me for a moment. "Fine."

"Thank you," I said, kissing her. I was going to make it special, no questions asked.

Time passed and soon enough, Carlisle called to inform us that he, Esme and Leah were on their way. Apparently they'd called and spoken with the new council to inform them of what was going on and they gave their consent. All of us gathered in the foyer after the call came and we waited until Alice alerted us that they had arrived at the house.

I opened the door just as Carlisle appeared, smiling as he carried two bags with him. Leah stood several feet away with two giant suitcases behind her, biting her lip and looking more sheepish than I'd ever seen her look before. Esme stood beside her and gently ushered her towards the inside, but Leah stopped and couldn't seem to make herself move.

"Are you alright, dear?" Esme asked.

"Y-yeah," Leah replied.

Esme silently walked inside and shared a look with Carlisle while Leah didn't move. "Jazz, Em, why don't you guys take her things?" I suggested, shooting a glance at them.

They did so without a word and Leah murmured her thanks, but she remained glued to the spot she was in, even after they returned. Leah stood in our doorway silently, and I could see from looking at her eyes that there was a lot running through her mind. I couldn't blame her. Slowly, she entered the house and came to a stop directly in front of Carlisle and Esme, who offered her warm smiles that seemed to ease her a bit.

"I…" She stopped and sighed. "Damn it."

"It's alright, Leah," Carlisle said. "Take your time."

Leah bit her lip. "I don't know what to say. 'Thank you' doesn't feel like enough for all of this. Helping my friends on La Push, taking care of me…this." She gestured around the room, then at herself before rubbing her eyes. "But…thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for doing all of this for me. It means more than words can express."

"You're very welcome," Esme replied.

Leah rubbed the back of her neck. "So…what now?"

Carlisle and Esme shared a look before Carlisle responded. "That depends entirely on you and what you wish to do, Leah. We have food if you're hungry, a bed if you're tired, various activities to entertain yourself or…" He paused and seemed at a loss of words for a moment. "If you're inquiring about the transformation process, there's no rush, Leah. In fact, before that even happens, there's a lot we need to cover with you first."

"I understand," Leah said. "I want to know everything before I make my end decision, but in all honesty, I doubt it will change much." She smiled. "I am a little hungry, I suppose…hospital food stinks." Carlisle and Esme chuckled at this and Leah's eyes widened. "Oh, crap. I forgot. Sorry, I didn't mean that in an offensive way or anything…"

"It's okay, dear," Esme said. "We know it stinks." She winked. "Why don't you come with me into the kitchen and we'll see what there is for you to eat that you like, hmm? Alice, Cynthia? Why don't you join me? And Bella! You can help me cook, dear."

I groaned. "Do I have to?"

"Yes," Esme replied. "Your sisters can help."

Rosalie and Victoria looked equally appalled. "You're kidding, right?" Victoria asked.

"Nope!" Esme shouted. "And before you boys go to thinking that I'm excluding you because you're 'men,' you can forget it. You're washing and cleaning everything after we're done, and next time, you can do the cooking for a change. Men need to cook just as often as women."

Emmett groaned. "Man, that's not fair."

"Life isn't fair sometimes," Jasper said, shrugging. "Oh well."

"Come now, girls!" Esme said, grinning ear-to-ear. "Let's get to it!"

Despite my annoyance with having to deal with human food, I couldn't help but smile. Things were changing. Some for the better, some for the worse, there was no doubt of that. But I was content knowing that we had a new family member. Now all we needed was Jane and Riley to return safely from their trip to Volterra, and things would be, in a sense, back to normal.

_I hope they're doing okay_, I thought. _And I really hope we'll be okay too._

**A/N: Not much to say here, really. Thanks to Marcus S. Lazarus and AleinWonderland once more. Till next time, everybody. :D**


	60. Changing Tides

**Disclaimer: I don't own ze Twilight saga, Meyer does. I own my own characters and ideas only.**

**Changing Tides**

Two weeks passed by following Leah coming to live with us and despite the additional person in the house, not much changed. We dealt with school—in the end, we all dropped out of it since we'd missed so much due to everything else going. The principal wasn't pleased, but she conceded without issue and, thanks in part to the new alibi that we would be home-schooled instead, we were able to stay home.

Carlisle and Esme, when not working, talked with Leah, Alice and Cynthia about vampirism and all that they knew. They told them about the Volturi and anything else necessary for them to know, during which time, a decision on which girl would be turned first was not made. I sat in from time to time, but for the most part, I left it to my parents. They knew their stuff better than I did. I did, however, check in now and again to see if one of them had made a decision, but none of them had.

Cynthia seemed fine with being a human, and while Alice seemed to want vampirism the most, she was giving it genuine thought and thinking things through, including her past statements that she admitted to regretting-the ones about her saying she'd be fine with ending lives. I was glad. They needed to wait, and think. It was a big deal and they had to be one hundred percent certain about their choice. Leah was the same way. It felt like she was torn on what to do.

Currently, it was Friday afternoon. I had just finished hunting deer with Rosalie and Victoria and we were on our way back to the house when Rosalie stopped suddenly, causing both Victoria and I to stop and turn to face her.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"I was talking with Jasper about Leah's transformation, whenever the hell that is, and we realized something that has yet to be addressed," Rosalie said. "And I just now remembered it."

"And what's that?"

"What are we going to do about Alice and Cynthia?" she replied. "Even if Leah does get turned first, we can't have them all here at the same time."

I blinked. "Oh. Crap, I didn't even think about that. I mean, I _have_, but…"

"That's a good point," Victoria remarked. "They can't be around until she's gone, unless we take her up to Alaska beforehand, which may work, but..."

"We'll have to take them away, then," I said. "But where?"

"That's easy enough to figure out," Rosalie said. "But who will take them?"

"I could," I said.

Rosalie frowned. "No, you should be here for Leah. You're the one she's closest to. Let Emmett and I take them out for a few days. We can keep them entertained."

"Not sure they'd like your method of 'entertainment,'" Victoria said, snickering.

Rosalie rolled her eyes and I groaned. "I don't need those mental images, Tori."

"Hey, don't blame me," Victoria replied. "I'm just saying what's true."

"Shut up," Rosalie said.

"I'll talk to Alice and Cynthia about it when the time comes," I said, shrugging. "When Leah decides she's ready to be turned, I'll tell them. There's no point worrying about it until then." _Besides_, I thought, _I'm not so sure I want Rose and Em to be the ones taking them. Tori may have a point…_

The three of us returned to the house shortly after and went our separate ways. Rosalie and Victoria each headed upstairs while I opted to go and watch some TV. However, before I could, I saw Leah walk downstairs and immediately went over to join her.

"Hi Leah," I said.

She smiled. "Hey, Bella, what's up?"

"Not a whole lot," I replied. "Just finished hunting."

"Ooh." Her eyes widened with interest. "What's that like?"

I lifted an eyebrow. "Haven't you been told?"

She shrugged. "Sort of. I mean, I've asked around and gotten different opinions, but no one's gotten too detailed about it because I've been focusing on learning everything else, like vampire government and the whole turning process." She grimaced briefly, then smiled. "Would you be willing to tell me?"

"It's…hard to put into words," I said. "Sometimes, you get these urges that feel…primal, I guess, would be the best word to use. Anyways, you get them and, for us, we try to resist them because if we didn't, we would probably kill innocent people in horrible ways for no reason other than the fact that our instincts told us to. But when we go out and hunt, we can give in to them.

"It feels liberating to be able to give in to my bestial side. True, I'm ending the life of an innocent creature that can't fight against me, but it's for survival, so I make do with it. It can be fun, exhilarating or just something that needs doing. It depends on how you look at it and how it makes you feel. Em, Rose and Tori enjoy it. They like the stalking, prowling and killing more than anyone else in the family. Carlisle and Esme take no pleasure from it. It's just necessary."

"And you?" she asked.

"I'm between the two, like Jasper," I said. "I tend to enjoy it more than I think I should, and I have played with my food on several occasions, but never to the extreme that my siblings have. I'm really not sure how I feel, truthfully. I've never…really considered it. As for Jasper, he takes no pleasure in killing any living creature, but he's more relaxed and, at times, playful about it than our parents. Like I said, it depends on the vampire."

"I see," she said. "That's cool, though." She smiled, but after a moment, her smile faltered and she rubbed the back of her neck. "Do you mind if I ask you a favor?"

"Shoot."

"Can I, uh…borrow your car?" she asked.

"My car?" I asked, frowning. While I wasn't against helping Leah, my car was…well, _my car_.

"It won't be for long, I swear," she said. "I know that it's your baby and all, Alice told me as such when I talked to her a few minutes ago, but…" She paused and bit her lip. "I wanted to…drive to the cemetery where my mom and brother are buried. I…I owe them a great deal, and since I didn't go to the funeral, this is my chance to say goodbye, you know?"

"Oh." I mentally smacked myself for not even thinking about that. "Of course. Hold on." I ran and grabbed my keys, then handed them to her. "I'm guessing you know which is mine, right?"

"Alice told me," Leah replied. "Thank you. I won't scratch her, I promise."

"I trust you," I said, smiling. "Do you…want me to go with you?"

"No, but thank you," she said. "I've got to do this by myself."

"I understand," I said, placing my hand on her shoulder. I could see the pain in her eyes and I wished I could offer her more than words. "Take your time, Leah. See you later."

"Thank you," she said. "I won't be gone long."

Without another word, she headed for our garage and I could hear the sound of my car driving out several minutes later. I ran a hand through my hair and sighed. I felt terrible for Leah. She lost her brother and mother, her people had nearly been wiped out by vampires, a good number of wolves she'd likely been friends with were practically our enemies and she was going to become a vampire soon. That wasn't something to be taken lightly. None of it was.

"Worried about her, are you?" I turned to see Jasper strolling towards me, hands in his pockets. "That young woman's emotions have been a rollercoaster ride for me, I must admit." He smiled. "It's a bit refreshing to have new emotions to feel, but it's a bit terrifying, too. It makes me glad I'm not a telepath. I think I would go insane if I were."

I chuckled. "I'm with you there."

"Do you feel like going for a walk and talk?" he asked.

"Sure," I replied as he wrapped one arm around me. "Oh, wait. Where's Alice?"

"She's and Cynthia are upstairs talking with Esme," Jasper replied, winking. "No reason to worry. I would say it's 'lady business,' but as you are a lady, that would be wrong."

"Uh, yeah, it would be," I said as we exited the foyer and walked outside. We both laughed and I wrapped my arm around my brother's waist. "Man, this whole thing has been insane."

"You've got that right," Jasper said. "Jane and Riley leaving, the attack on La Push, the pack splitting, the Thornes plotting, our newest addition to the family…and Victoria finding out that her sister is alive somewhere? It's times like these that I'm glad I can shut my gift off, although that doesn't seem to help as much as I wish it did. I can still feel the emotions around me, just to a much lesser extent. I suppose I'm stuck being an empath no matter what."

"Could be worse," I murmured.

"Very true," he said. "Tell me, how have you been holding up?"

"Decent, I guess," I said. "I'm not sure where my head's been at lately, to be honest."

"Alice has been on your mind, hasn't it?" he asked.

We were slowly starting to make our way around the house, taking our time to move at a slower-than-the-average-human pace so as to enjoy the walk and one another's company.

"Yes," I replied.

"I feel like I haven't given her the attention she deserves," I said. "She's my mate and it feels wrong that we haven't done anything special together, you know?"

He chuckled. "Bella, the world doesn't revolve around her. She's a splendid person, don't get me wrong, but you act as if your love for her is being questioned. It's not. Do you see Victoria and I going out on dates every weekend or doing romantic things together? No, not often, but that doesn't mean I don't love her and she doesn't love me. Some couples are like that."

"I'm well aware," I said. "Carlisle and Esme are rarely affectionate with one another, but we all know how much love they have. I get it, believe me. It's just…"

"You still feel obligated," Jasper said. "I understand."

"I want to treat her out to a great night, without any drama, supernatural or natural," I said.

Jasper snickered. "That'll be the day."

"Not helping, Jazz." I couldn't fight back my smile, however.

"Well, none of us can really do much about what happens," he said, shrugging. "Still, think positive and, if you must, have Em and Rose patrol around town. I assume you're going to do this once Leah has been turned and we've taken her to Alaska, yes?"

"Yes," I replied. "It'd be easier that way. Of course, I hate that you have to leave in the first place. I know it's necessary, but…our family will be shrunk down even more."

We stopped walking at that moment and Jasper turned to face me. "Bella, you know we're not really going to be gone, right? It's just Alaska."

"I know," I said. "But what about Jane and Riley? They haven't contacted us yet. No phone calls, no texts, no emails or letters. Alice hasn't seen anything new on them, either. I don't want to think about it and to be honest, I haven't, but what if something happens to the three of you when you leave for Alaska? What if something has happened to Jane and Riley?"

Jasper placed his hands on my shoulders and I felt a wave of calm envelop me. "Bella, relax. If something happens to them, we'll know ahead of time and we have ways to prevent it. As far as Victoria, myself and Leah, do you think we would be attacked and unable to defend ourselves? Don't forget that Victoria and I are highly skilled in combat. Leah, on the other hand, will be a newborn, so she'll be stronger, faster and filled with the desire to murder our enemies."

I chewed on my bottom lip. "You know how I am, Jazz."

"Yes, I do," he replied. "That's why I'm repeating myself: don't worry."

"Aren't you worried, though?" I asked.

"Of course," he said. "But I don't let my worries grab a hold of me and sink me down into an ocean I can't swim out of you the way you tend to do. Jane and Riley are tough. They're smart, capable fighters and they have good instincts, especially Riley, since he used to be a solider just like I was. And I am certain that, with Alec on their side, they'll have numerous advantages, as Alec has been with the Volturi and likely knows a few things even we don't."

"That…is true," I said, frowning. "I never considered it."

"See?" Jasper said. "That furthers my point, does it not?"

"I guess so," I said.

He smiled. "Good. I'm happy you agree with me."

We walked together for a while and talked, both about Leah and about things that weren't as meaningful. It was nice to just talk with Jasper one on one, without any drama or interruptions. Plus, Jasper's gift made it easy for me to relax, which was a nice added bonus.

Our walk ended when we circled around our house to the front, and I saw that my car had returned—I could see the tracks and smell it in the air—which meant Leah was back. For the time being, I simply stood with Jasper, staring off into space.

"Dude!" Emmett's voice broke me from my thoughts and I saw Emmett lumber over to us. "Hey, have you hunted lately, Jazz?"

"No," Jasper replied. "Why?"

Emmett grinned. "A challenge. I bet you a hundred I can get full quicker than you can."

Jasper chuckled. "Oh really? You're on."

"Wanna join us, Bells?" Emmett asked.

I waved it off. "No, that's okay. I just ate. Have fun, boys."

"Always do!" Emmett said, dashing off.

Jasper sighed. "I don't, but I do like a good challenge. Later, Bella. Remember what I said."

I nodded and waved him off, and with a grin, he was gone, chasing after Emmett. I decided to go and find Leah since I had meant to talk to her about something when she asked if she could borrow my car. With a quick whiff, I could tell she wasn't in the house so I followed her scent to the back of the house, where she was sitting by herself beneath a tree.

"Hey," I said, walking over and sitting beside her. "How's it going?"

Leah shrugged. "As good as it can be, I guess."

For a few minutes, neither of us spoke. I broke the silence. "Are you enjoying your last day as a human?" I asked, turning to face her. "Or…are you maybe having second thoughts?"

Leah chuckled. "You know, I keep asking myself if this is really want I want to do."

"Is it?"

She looked at me. "Yes. I know what I'm getting myself into. I mean, I don't know every detail, and I keep reminding myself what your parents told me and what you told me. I…understand as much as anyone in this kind of situation could. I understand that this is a way one ticket and that I can never go back if I choose it. I've accepted it, though."

"Are you afraid?" I asked.

"Terrified," she admitted, ducking her head. "I couldn't sleep the last few nights because I kept imagining myself as a vampire tearing through a house full of innocent people. I hate that feeling. It scares me that I may hurt someone, because the last thing I want to do is cause anyone pain." She paused for a moment. "Anyone that doesn't deserve it, that is."

"You'll be okay, Leah," I said. "You'll learn to control yourself. Every vampire has the will to fight their animal instinct. For some, it's harder, I won't lie. It was a struggle for me, and for Rosalie and Victoria. Hell, all of us have struggled." I thought for a moment on all that I knew of my family member's struggles. "You know, us women are the ones who have had the biggest struggles with our bloodlust and everything. I wonder why that is…"

Leah chuckled again. "Because life loves to make us suffer?"

"Rosalie believes it's because we have all this pent up anger and hatred boiling beneath the surface since we've had to put up with so much crap throughout history," I said, smiling. "She thinks that becoming a vampire has given us the strength to finally be on equal terms with men, only more so since female vampires are stronger and more vicious."

"Girl power," Leah said. "I like it. But what do you think?"

I shrugged. "I don't think gender has anything to do with it, although Rosalie may have a point with her feelings on anger and bloodlust." I stared down at the ground. "I remember how I was when I was human. I used to be a lot…better than I am now. No thirsting for vengeance, no self-loathing, no struggle, none of that. Of course, I also used to be weaker, too. Weaker minded and weaker willed." I ran a hand through my hair. "I'm not sure if any of it's changed."

"That's for you to decide," Leah said. "I like you. I think you're nice, and awesome, too. And your family loves you, so there's that."

"I know," I said, smiling. "And I wouldn't trade any of that in for the world. I have amazing parents, amazing siblings and Alice, whom I love deeply with my whole heart." I turned back to her. "And now, I've got you, just as you have me and everyone else. You're a part of our crazy vampire family now, Leah." I reached out and gave her shoulder a light squeeze.

She did the same. "Thank you, Bella."

"I want you to promise me something, though," I said. "Not for my sake, but for yours."

"What's that?" she asked.

"Don't let vengeance consume you," I replied.

She nodded. "I know. You were right when we talked in the hospital. I didn't like admitting it, but you were right. Seth and my mom…they wouldn't want me to throw my life away and be embittered about their deaths. But I'm never going to forget them, nor am I going to forgive the ones responsible for killing them. I'm not going to obsess over revenge, but if I get the chance, you can bet I'm going to go in for the kill."

"I don't want you to forget," I said. "Or forgive, for that matter. I just don't want you to end up like me. I've made a lot of mistakes, most of them really dumb, and I have no one to blame but myself. I'm only now realizing it and trying to correct my stupidity. It's a bit hard to do, but I'm not going to give up. I want to be able to enjoy my life without thinking about…my past."

"I hear you," she said. "By the way, thanks for letting me use your car the other day."

"No problem," I replied. "You did fill her up, right?"

Leah grinned. "Of course. Rosalie was kind enough to inform me of how important your car is to you, so I took care of her." Her smile fell slowly. "I went to see their graves. I couldn't go to the funeral. I didn't want to. I didn't want to face them, or see the others after what happened. I was a coward. I apologized constantly to them for it. I should have gone."

"Hard to go to a funeral when you're hospitalized," I said.

"True," she replied.

Silence fell between us once again and I decided to ask one more question. "Was there anything you wanted to do before you were turned?" I asked. "And you know, you can postpone it if you want. There's no rush in becoming a vampire."

"I know," she said. "I've decided to wait another week, you know? I'm thinking next Saturday. Sunday at the latest. But the more I put it off for too long, the more I'm going to war with myself over whether or not I'm making the right choice as a whole. I think I am, and yet, I think I'm not. I don't want to worry about it or second guess myself. I want to do it and take the consequences that come regardless of what they are. I know I'm strong enough to face them. As far as what I want to do…" She frowned. "Well, there is one thing, but…I don't think it will happen."

"What is it?" I asked.

She smiled. "Sorry, but I'd rather keep it to myself. No offense. It's not something that can be done or bought or anything like that, it's something I alone can do."

I looked at her and kept a straight face as I asked, "Get laid?" Leah burst into laughter and I couldn't help giggling, too. "I'm sorry. I couldn't resist."

She continued laughing for several minutes before sobering up. "No, that's…that's okay. I needed that." She wiped a tear from her eye. "I have no clue why that was so funny." She cleared her throat. "That'd be great, actually, but there are no takers, which stinks."

"I could call down two of our 'cousins' from Alaska," I said. "They'd do you."

"You say it so matter-of-factly," she said, snickering.

"Because it's true," I replied, grinning. "Amara and Kate love women. They also like threesomes." I remembered them telling me that when Alice was turned, they wanted a go around, a thought I pushed aside. "They can be here by tomorrow night, you know. Want me to call?"

"Thanks, but I'll pass," she replied. "Besides, I'll be there soon anyways, won't I?"

"Good point."

And with that, we began to talk about other things that didn't involve vampires, for several hours, in fact. The decision had been-obviously to me, but soon to the others-made that Leah would be turned first. Cynthia and Alice didn't mind. They were still deciding. Leah, however, had chosen. And so a week later, Saturday afternoon, I stood with Leah outside once more as she silently stared out into the woods.

"So…I guess I should go get ready, huh?" she asked. It was the first time she'd spoken in a good half an hour.

"I would enjoy some food first and do whatever it is you plan to do," I replied. "There's no rush. You have plenty of time today before Carlisle and Esme turn you. Use it to your advantage."

Leah smirked. "I will. I am pretty hungry, in fact…"

"Then go," I said. "And open a window, too."

Leah laughed as we both stood up. She thanked me again and headed back to the house while I remained in place, staring off into space. I decided to spend a bit of time by myself, at least for a little while, and reflect on everything. It wasn't necessary, but it would pass the time and I felt that it would help me do as Jasper suggested: stop worrying so much.

Eventually, I headed inside and no sooner did I enter the foyer did I run into Alice and Cynthia.

"Bella!" Alice said, throwing her arms around me. "What kept you out there so long?"

I hugged her back and kissed her cheek. "Sorry, Ali. I spaced out."

"That's usually Alice's excuse whenever I catch her nodding off or ignoring me when I'm saying something important," Cynthia remarked. "That proves you're meant for each other."

"Oh shut up," Alice replied.

I rolled my eyes. "Funny, Cynthia."

"I know," she said, smiling.

"So how was your chat with Esme today?" I asked, opting to change the subject. She'd been talking with the girls quite a bit lately, which was fine by me. I was curious about what it was they were discussing. None of them bothered to tell me.

The sisters shared a look and smiled. "Intriguing," Alice replied.

"I'm not going to hear what it was about, am I?" I asked.

"Alice will spill it if you tickle her or tease her, I'm sure, but until then, no," Cynthia replied.

"Hey!" Alice shouted.

I grinned. "You may sound smug now, Cynthia, but Alice knows your weaknesses just as well as you know hers. I'd watch out, lest she exact some payback one of these days when you're none the wiser. Remember…_she _can see the future."

Cynthia's smile dropped as a devilish grin formed on Alice's face. "She's right, Cynth."

Cynthia gulped and bit her lip. "S-so, um, when's Leah going to be turned?"

"Tonight, I think," I replied. "Or tomorrow. I don't know exactly yet."

"Oh." Cynthia rubbed the back of her neck while Alice giggled.

"Either way, we're going to have to do something about you two," I said, glancing between them. It was a reminder of what we'd told them last week. "Once Leah awakens, if she smells either of you, she'll try and kill you since we've decided to keep her at the house for a few hours, since it'll be easier to be surrounded by familiar faces. It's inevitable. however, that she'll want your blood without thinking about it."

"What's going to happen, again?" Cynthia asked.

"Rosalie and Emmett are going to be taking you to Seattle," I replied, watching the frown form on Alice's face. "Sorry, Ali, but I'm going to stay here and help out if I can. Leah asked me to be here with her personally and after everything she's been through, I didn't have the heart to turn her down. Besides, it'll only be for a few days."

Alice sighed. "I know. I saw it, but I hoped you might change your mind." She threw her arms around me and kissed my neck. "It's no big deal, Bells. I'm fine with it. I just miss you."

I wrapped my arms around her. "And I'll miss you too, Ali. It's not the end of the world, though." I pressed my lips to hers. "I'll still be here."

"I'm well aware of that, silly," Alice replied, grinning. "Just be careful, okay?"

"Get a room you two," Cynthia said.

"We're in a room," I replied, pulling Cynthia into a hug.

"Ha ha," Cynthia deadpanned, though she smiled too.

"When do we leave?" Alice asked.

"You're the seer, you tell me," I said, wiggling my eyebrows.

She snorted. "So now it's all up to me, huh?"

"You _are _the know-it-all," Cynthia said.

"Nuh uh."

"Yeah huh."

"No you."

"No, _you_."

I cleared my throat. "Uh, girls?"

They both whirled around and shot me playful glares. "What?!"

I rolled my eyes. "You're both ridiculous."

That's when Rosalie appeared. "Did you remind them?"

"Yup," I replied. "Not that they needed it, Rose."

Rosalie smirked. "Regardless. Just so the two of you are aware, neither Emmett nor I will be held accountable for any corruption that may ensue with your spending time with us, or, for that matter, anything you see that you wish to un-see. It is entirely your fault, so you know."

Cynthia frowned. "Wait, what do you…?"

"Ew!" Alice said, grimacing. "Rosalie!"

Rosalie beamed. "Hey, like I said, it's not on me."

"Actually," I said, stepping past the humans. "It is." I shot her a pointed look. "If either one of them comes back traumatized, Rose, you and your husband are going to pay for it, got it?"

"Oh?" Rosalie asked. "And what, exactly, are you going to do?"

I narrowed my eyes. "One, I know of a few secrets you and Em would rather remain secret from our siblings. Two, I know your greatest weakness and I'll use it to my advantage to make you miserable until the trauma wears off. And three, let's not forget that I'm the fastest member of our family, so I'm fully capable of removing things from each of your bodies and locking them away for as many years as I feel like." I grinned. "Does that answer your question?"

Rosalie looked mortified. "Fine, you win."

"Glad to hear it," I replied, smiling at Alice and Cynthia, who gave me questioning looks.

"I'm starting to think I might have taught you too much," Rosalie said, shaking her head. "You two! Go pack some clothes and whatever the hell else you want to bring with you and make it snappy. We're going to be leaving within the next hour since Leah's going to be turned soon. And no, you don't get to stick around while the process begins."

"I don't think I'd want to be around anyways," Cynthia said, shuddering. "C'mon, Ali."

"Yes, ma'am!" Alice said, saluting Rosalie and I. She giggled and they raced upstairs.

"She's so adorable," I said as Rosalie wrapped one arm around me.

"Yes, it's sickening, really," Rosalie said. I shot her a look and she gave me a kiss on the lips. "I'm joking, Belly-Button. Kind of." She smiled. "Tell me, have you thought up what to do with Alice after Leah's left for Alaska? You know, a date? I've heard you're trying to think of something big and romantic. Just remember that you don't have to always treat her, Belly."

"I'm aware," I said. "And no, I haven't decided yet. Having you and Em around will hopefully distract her and give me a chance to think, however. I don't want her spoiling my plans by finding out what I intend to do. She said she wouldn't, but even so."

"Don't worry, we'll keep her distracted," Rosalie said. "Both of them."

"As long as there's no mental scarring, I don't care," I said.

"Yes, you've made that perfectly clear," Rosalie said, rolling her eyes.

When Alice and Cynthia returned, they had their things in their hands and Alice was pouting. "Are you sure we can't stay until the process is finished with?" She glanced at Cynthia and Rosalie before looking to me.

"Sorry," I said, wrapping my arms around her. "If you stay here, your scents will be fresher and it will drive Leah up the wall. This way, we have the chance to air the house out so her thirst won't take control of her when she awakens." I smiled. "It won't be long, don't worry."

"Yeah, and besides, you get to spend a few days with us!" Emmett said, flexing as he walked inside to join us. Jasper wasn't with him, I noticed. "And who wouldn't want to spend a few days with the god and goddess of sex and awesomeness?"

"And awesome sex, even though we can't have any," Rosalie added, shooting me a look.

I rolled my eyes. "Have you two talked to Leah at all?"

"Oh!" Alice said, smacking her forehead. "Shit, I almost forgot!"

"I see how it is," Leah said. She walked inside at that moment, smiling as she exchanged looks with Cynthia and Alice. "Kidding. I figured you two would be leaving since I've been told over and over again that me turning would make you girls look super tasty and whatnot." She shrugged. "I wish it didn't have to be this way, but I won't be seeing either of you for a while." Her eyes shifted between Rosalie, Emmett and I. "How long, exactly?"

"However long it takes for you to learn self-control," Rosalie replied. "It could be a year, it could be longer. Since these two are going to be turned at some point in the not-too-distant future, though, I wouldn't worry too much. At the most, you won't see each other for a few months. You can still keep in touch, of course. Honestly, it's not _that_ big of a deal."

"True enough, I guess," Leah replied.

"But it still stinks," Alice said.

"Agreed," Cynthia said.

"Let's give them a moment to say goodbye," I said, nudging Rosalie. "Shall we?"

"Fine," Rosalie replied. "Come on, Em."

The three of us left the room and headed upstairs to our respective bedrooms.

"Bye, Bella," Alice said. "Call me when it's done, okay?"

"I will," I replied, pressing my lips to hers. "I love you."

"Love you too," she replied.

"Oh, knock it off, it's not the end of the world," Rosalie said, rolling her eyes.

"Later," Cynthia said, grabbing Alice and snickering. "C'mon, Ali."

Alice waved as she, Cynthia, Emmett and Rosalie left. I heard the sound of Rosalie's car driving away soon after and chuckled before turning to Leah.

"Is there anything else you'd like to do?" I asked.

"No," she replied. "I'm ready."

"Come with me, dear," Esme said, appearing from practically out of nowhere and smiling. "Let's get you changed beforehand. Bella, be a dear and go find Victoria and Jasper, then meet us upstairs. You know which room."

She led Leah upstairs and I went out to find Victoria and Jasper, who were outside sparring. Once I got them, we returned inside and went to the room where Esme and Carlisle would be turning Leah: their study room, which had been modified accordingly to include a small bed with pillows to keep Leah comfortable and any supplies Carlisle and Esme could legally own.

Leah was laying on the bed, Carlisle and Esme standing beside her. Jasper and Victoria stopped at the edge of the room, keeping a respectful distance. I sauntered up to the opposite side of the bed and sat down. Leah offered me a shaky smile, then turned to Carlisle.

"What are you going to do?" Leah asked.

"With your permission, I will inject you with anesthesia," Carlisle replied. "It will spread through your body and hopefully lessen the pain of the venom as it moves through you." He frowned. "I'm sorry, that wasn't very helpful, was it? We've never actually attempted this before. Our previous attempt didn't work because we injected morphine _after_ the venom."

"No big deal," Leah replied. "It can't hurt worse than what I've gone through recently."

Esme placed a hand on Leah's shoulder. "It is a big deal, because we don't want to bullshit you or make you think this is going to be easy. However, regardless of how this works, we'll all be here with you every step of the way, dear."

"Thank you," she replied as Carlisle prepared her arm.

Once he was finished, he injected her with anesthesia and Leah slowly became drowsy. Then, her eyes closed and she fell unconscious. Immediately after, Esme moved over to the opposite side of the bed where I was. I watched her and Carlisle share a brief look before they leaned down and sank their teeth into the sides of her neck.

"And so it begins," Victoria said ominously.

"Funny," I said as Carlisle and Esme proceeded to bite Leah in several other places.

They bit her on three different parts of her arms and her collarbones, which was more than enough venom to circulate through her system. Despite the anesthesia, Leah started to wiggle slightly and I watched as her face contorted. She could still feel the pain, no doubt.

"And now, we wait," Esme said once she and Carlisle finished.

"How many days do you think it will take?" Jasper asked.

"With the amount of venom we've put into her system, no more than three, no less than two," Carlisle said. "I don't dare put any more in. The pain might become too much for her body and heart to take, and that's the last thing we want to have happen."

"Agreed," Esme said. "Oh. Dear, we should get her some blood for when she awakens. It will be easier to communicate with her if she has something in her system." Carlisle nodded and vanished. Moments later, he reappeared with three blood packets in his hands, which he placed inside a nearby cooler. "Thank you."

I folded my arms across my chest and let my gaze shift to my parents as they talked quietly among themselves. I wasn't going anywhere. I promised Leah I would stay by her side, and that's what I intended to do, even if it would likely be three days. So I got comfortable, sighed, and closed my eyes as I allowed my mind to begin drifting.

Little by little, three days passed by. I remained in the same spot for most of it except for one occasion on the second day when I went to hunt for precaution. On the third day, Jasper and Victoria—who had spent most of the time training and spending alone time together—joined me, as did Carlisle and Esme. Leah's heart had stopped beating by then. The change was nearly done.

"Bella, you should get back," Jasper warned. "You know how newborns are when they first awaken. She's going to be scared and her instincts will be on high alert. We won't be friends to her, not until she's had time to feed and calm down."

"I know," I said, standing.

I moved to where Jasper and Victoria were standing, although Victoria pulled me behind her, which I found endearing, but unnecessary. I didn't complain, though, and we simply waited. Silence fell over the entire room and if any of us had heartbeats, I knew that would be the only sound audible. Everything was still. It would have been maddening were it not natural for us.

Then, after a while, Leah's body jerked, and from where I was standing, I could see her eyes open. She stared upwards for a few minutes before sitting upright in a flash, her head whipping around as her red eyes took everything, including us, in. I could already feel Jasper's body tense as he unleashed a wave of calm that swirled around the room.

"Hello, Leah," Carlisle said. Leah's head whipped to his direction. She stared at him, confused, agitated and uncertain, but she didn't speak or move. "If you've forgotten who I am, that's quite alright. It will take you a while before you've adjusted to your new senses and feelings. I do know that you're going to feel a powerful burn in your throat momentarily, however."

Leah's lips pursed together. "Who…" Her voice was low, almost hostile. She grimaced and looked down at her hands. "Where…where am…" She growled and clutched her throat.

"Here you are, dear," Esme said, grabbing the blood packets. "Drink from these."

Leah growled at her when she took a step closer, so Esme gently tossed the blood instead. Leah caught them with ease and, after hesitating, sank her teeth into each one, draining them in seconds. When she'd finished off the blood packets, she remained where she was, and I could see from her eyes that the gears in her head were turning. She was trying to take everything in and I knew full well how she was feeling. We'd all gone through that.

Leah's body slowly relaxed as she closed her eyes. "I…I remember." She reopened her eyes and looked around. "Carlisle. Esme. Jasper. Victoria. Bella." She bit her lip. "I know who _I_ am. I know…_what_ I am. But this…I never expected…" She trailed off and started to look around, as if she'd been distracted or forgotten what she was saying.

"It's alright, dear," Esme said. "We'll help you through every step of the way."

Leah said nothing as she licked her lips. She looked pained and wary at the same time as she leapt up from the bed, flipping once through the air before landing on her feet. She seemed amazed by this and started to move around, pausing every so often to stare at her arms or legs in astonishment. I knew it was going to get much more difficult, of course. It always did.

_Maybe I should have left this to Jasper and Victoria_, I thought. _Oh well. She's my friend and I'll do whatever I can to help. _I smiled to myself despite that fact. This would be interesting.

**A/N: And thus, the final stretch begins. Twelve more chapters, folks. Thanks for sticking with me, everyone. I'm sorry if it hasn't been what you expected or wanted, but believe me, you'll be happy with the ending. _Happier_, at least. ;)**

**Till next time. **


	61. Mates

**Disclaimer: Meyer owns Twilight. I own my stuff. Broken record broken record broken rec-**

**Note:** **This chapter contains some smut.**

**Mates**

The situation with Leah was, as I'd thought, a lot to handle. It wasn't the first time I had been around a newborn vampire, but with Leah, it was a bit different, especially whenever she remembered what had happened to her before she was turned. Her genuine anger and the seething desire to hunt down and massacre the Thornes for killing her loved ones surfaced rather frequently. It took Jasper, Victoria and myself to restrain her.

Still, each of us did what we could to help her. Victoria and Jasper took her to hunt and kept a watchful eye on her to ensure that she didn't go after humans, although I would always run patrols beforehand to make sure no humans were around. Carlisle and Esme educated her on how to better control her instincts as well. In the end, however, it was up to her to implement their advice. She was willing, but she struggled, as each of us had.

After several days, Leah seemed like she was able to keep her temper in check—for the most part—and paid better attention. Newborns tended to lose themselves in the tiniest of things due to everything feeling new and unusual. She'd be that way for a while, in fact.

Regardless, the time had come for her to go with Jasper and Victoria to Alaska, where she would be trained and looked after in a more isolated environment. Jasper and Victoria would stay with her for a while, too, since their experience with newborns—as well as their gifts, since Jasper could help calm Leah down and Victoria was best suited to fight Leah if necessary—would help.

Currently, it was Friday and I was outside watching Jasper and Victoria pack. They weren't taking much, but they were taking their sweet time with it, mostly due to them constantly stopping to whisper. Leah was standing beneath a tree, staring off into space. She'd been doing that for awhile now.

"How're you doing?" I asked, walking over to her, slowly, of course.

Leah snapped out of her thoughts and looked at me, tensing for a moment before relaxing. "Alright, I guess," she replied. "There's still so much…stuff."

"I know," I said, chuckling. "You'll get used to it."

"You say that a lot," Leah said.

I shrugged. "I'm not good with giving advice, honestly."

Leah said nothing for a moment as she stared past me. "How hard was it for you when you were turned? To adjust. To…control yourself."

"Difficult," I said, sighing. "My self-control when it came to my thirst wasn't very good. I struggled with it frequently, just as I did with my mood swings and instincts. Carlisle and Esme put up with them and always remained calm, though. They never got upset with me or anything like that. They helped me through it. They got it into my mind that killing humans was wrong and a very big deal without forcing it on me and taught me ways to work on my other problems."

"Problems?" Leah asked. She didn't seem to like the word, but after a moment of frowning, her face relaxed. "Were the others…did you have anyone more difficult?"

"Rosalie," I said. "Don't tell her I told you, please. She'd have my ass."

Leah cracked a smile. "How bad was she?"

I ran a hand through my hair. "Let's just say that Carlisle and Esme had to...do a lot more to keep Rosalie from turning into a bloodthirsty killer. You see, they don't believe in forcing anything on anyone, including their own ideals. They wanted Rosalie to be free to do whatever she chose to do, and if that meant hunting humans, they were fine with it. It was just the way Rosalie went about doing it that wasn't the best. She sort of…became a vigilante, of sorts."

Leah frowned. "A vigilante?"

"She liked hunting criminals," I replied. "You see, when she was first turned she…" I paused. "You know, it's not for me to say in full, but I will admit that she hunted several very specific people due to what happened to her as a human. Rosalie was…very bloodthirsty. She had a better grasp of her instincts than I did, I will say that much. They weren't perfect, and she did have a lot of outbursts, but…anyways, my point is, Rosalie spent a while hunting 'criminals.'

"I say it that way because she went after men that she felt deserved death. Carlisle and Esme didn't believe in such a thing, because we were not God or any other sort of deity that had the right to judge what was good and what was bad. It took Rosalie a good few years to convince her of that fact, but even now, she talks about wanting to go back to that way of life, if only for a little while. Oh, and Emmett was a handful, too. More than me, less than Rose."

"Wow," Leah said. "Would she ever tell me about this herself?"

"Yes," I said. "In time, after you two become closer, she will and she'll do it much better than me." I decided now would be a wise time to change the subject and turned to Jasper and Victoria. "Jazz, Tori, are you two done yet? It doesn't take that long for us to pack a single car!"

"Hey, we were busy with…um…" Victoria paused and scowled. "Damn it. Never mind."

"We're ready, Leah," Jasper said, chuckling.

Leah nodded. "Okay." She turned to me. "Bye, Bella. Thanks again for staying with me. Please thank Carlisle and Esme for all their help. When I return, I hope to be able to be around humans, but we'll see. Just promise me…if those assholes show up…" She growled and twitched.

"We'll spare a few for you," I said. "Later, Leah."

She, Victoria and Jasper were gone relatively quickly. I sighed before I headed inside and called Rosalie to inform her that she, Emmett and the girls could return. Of course, knowing Alice, I figured she would be well aware of the moment Leah left, which meant that they would be—

My thoughts were interrupted when I heard a car drive up and I laughed. "Figures."

I was glad, though. I had written out plans for what I would be doing with Alice today, as today was our day to spend together without—hopefully—any interruptions. I hadn't decided on it, however, because I wanted to keep her in the dark as much as possible. And since it was the six in the morning, I had the entire day. I planned to make the best of it.

Rosalie and Emmett burst through the door moments later, with messy hair and sloppy grins on their faces. I groaned inwardly as they passed me, Rosalie winking with a 'we'll talk later' look in their eyes as they ran upstairs. Cynthia and Alice entered soon after, Alice beaming as she danced over to throw her arms around me and kiss me.

"Hi, Bella!" Alice said.

"Hey Alice," I replied. "Cynthia." I smiled at her.

She smiled back. "Hey. I'm going to go take a shower."

"Go for it," I said as she brushed passed me. I turned back to Alice, who was grinning ear-to-ear. "So how was your trip with Rosalie and Emmett?"

Alice laughed. "It was…eventful."

I narrowed my eyes warily. "Eventful _how_?"

"Nothing bad, Bella, relax," Alice said, giggling. "They treated us to dinner, took us to the movies and Rosalie treated Cynthia and I to a huge shopping-slash-makeover one day. It was awesome. I got my hair done, my nails done, a bunch of new clothes…" She was grinning ear-to-ear. "Oh, if only you had been there. That would have made it perfect."

"Next time," I replied, wrapping one arm around her. "But I'm glad you enjoyed yourselves."

"What about you?" Alice asked. "How were things here?"

"Didn't you see?" I asked.

"I saw bits and pieces," she replied. "Leah kept changing her mind on whatever it was she wanted to do. I could only keep tabs on the rest of you, and even then, it was blurry at times. I have no idea why, but it looks like things went okay."

"I wouldn't exactly say 'okay,'" I said. "But they weren't awful. Leah was a handful, as most newborn vampires are. She had mood swings, cravings for blood and got distracted by everything pretty frequently. Since there weren't any humans around, however, and since we had Jasper, it was easier to keep her calm and in check for the most part, though."

"That's good," Alice said. "I saw that she, Victoria and Jasper made it to Alaska safely without any issues, which is even better." She looked around and wrapped her arm around me. "But…it feels so empty in here now. It's weird."

I sighed. "Don't remind me."

"Sorry."

I shrugged and led her into the family room, which was vacant. "It's no big deal, Ali. There have been times in the past when the others have gone out on trips together, leaving only a few of us left. It's never fun, but it happens. The only difference this time is that two of them are helping our newest family member while the other two are trying to help a potential family member and…" I trailed off. "Speaking of which, have you seen anything on Jane and Riley?"

"No," Alice replied. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine," I replied. "I'm just silently praying they'll be okay."

Alice kissed my cheek. "Don't worry. They will be. At any rate…" She fluttered her eyelashes. "I know you have something planned for me today, but you've kept it hidden. Cynthia and your siblings kept me busy to prevent me from peeking ahead, so whatever it is, your secret is safe until you reveal it to me yourself." She giggled. "I promise I don't know."

"Good," I replied. "I don't want you to get any spoilers. Have you eaten and showered?"

"No and yes," she replied. "I'm the reason Cynthia's showering now. I guess I took too long." She shrugged. "Whatever. I am a little hungry, though."

"Why don't you grab something small to eat then get ready?" I asked. "Our day starts the moment you're ready and we walk out that door."

Alice grinned, kissed me, then ran into the kitchen while I stayed and watched TV. About an hour later, Alice returned in a fresh set of clothes, looking excited. I handed the remote to Cynthia as she walked by Alice and sat down, the other Brandon sister smiling and pecking both of us on the cheek before I stood up.

First I would take her shopping since I knew how much Alice loved shopping. And while I was doing it for fun, there was an ulterior motive that she wouldn't know about: we were shopping for later on in our date, because I was going to take her dancing. Of course, treating her to lunch, dinner and a movie was also part of the plan. For now, it was time for phase one.

_Well, once the drive is over_, I mused. Driving to Seattle was going to take a bit of time, but since we would be there all day, it wasn't a big deal. Alice and I talked throughout the drive about her trip and Leah's first few days of being a newborn. She was curious to know how Leah had acted and I was honest with her. Eventually, we entered Seattle and a minute later, Alice squealed in excitement since she'd apparently seen what we were doing.

"Shopping!" Alice shouted, clapping excitedly. "Sweet!"

I rolled my eyes. "I don't understand what it is about shopping that some of you humans love so much, but yes, we're going shopping. Thanks for spoiling it."

"Because it's fun," Alice replied, kissing my cheek. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"If you say so," I said, chuckling. "And you're welcome."

"You choose," Alice said. "I trust your judgment."

I smiled as I drove to the Westfield Southcenter, our destination for most of the day. When we got there, we headed inside and immediately went to the directory to look at all the shops available. Alice pointed out a couple, then suggested Abercrombie and Fitch first. I'd been there before and I actually liked their selections, so I was all for it.

There was one other thing, though: I wanted to get a gift for her, and I had to do so without her seeing or noticing it. It wasn't going to be easy, but I was hoping she'd be too distracted.

"Oh, one thing," she said, stopping me before I could open my door. "I'm buying."

I frowned. "Ali, I appreciate the offer, but I'm treating you and we have—"

"Shush," she said, putting a finger to my lips. "I know you're treating me, but I'm going to treat you, too. And as far as the money goes, don't sweat it." She pulled out a black AmEx card. "I snatched this from my parents before Cynthia and I left." She grinned. "I'm going to take as much money from them as I can."

I gaped at the card for a moment before shaking my head. "How did you…wait, I didn't even know your parents had a card like that." Her grin grew and there was a glint in her eyes and I just sighed. "Well, okay then. Thank you for the offer."

"No problem," she replied. "You can just donate money to charity instead."

"We do that every month, Ali," I said.

"You can add what you didn't spend into the next month, then."

"Works for me," Alice said. "Either way, I'm going to pay for everything and that's that. Now enough dillydallying, there are clothes to be looked at and bought!" I had a feeling this was going to be a long day, but I didn't mind. It made Alice happy and her being happy made me happy.

After we finished with Abercrombie—we each had two bags filled with new clothes, including a few things for Victoria—I decided to take Alice to Express, another clothing store with a nicer selection. From there, I took Alice to a handful of stores, stopping only twice between them, once for a pit stop and once to buy Alice some coffee since it was going to be a long day. After Express, I took Alice to Sephora, Macy's, H&M, Coach and Nordstrom, each of which we spent a good long while at, especially Macy's.

We were either sifting through the various choices of clothing—either for ourselves or for the others, since Alice said she wanted to buy Cynthia something and I decided to buy the others some clothes as gifts—or trying on outfits we—or rather, Alice—found. I didn't mind striking poses for her in outfits she picked out for me, but I preferred watching her instead. She had this majestic air about her when it came to clothes, something I couldn't understand. I liked it.

As we walked into Nordstrom holding hands, I secretly excited about the gifts I'd bought for Alice. One was a dress that I felt would look beautiful on her, one was a pair of really nice earrings and the last was a necklace with a small silver fairy.

Whether or not she knew about them, I wasn't certain. I hoped, though.

After we finished at Nordstrom—during which time, Alice purchased four pairs of shoes, including a pair for me that she mentioned after the fact—we stopped at my car to drop everything off at the car. Alice was practically bouncing the entire time, beaming beautifully at me. As we were putting the bags in, Alice saw the overnight bag I had packed for the two of us. Alice questioned me about it, but I merely shrugged and told her I brought it just in case.

"Oh, that was fun!" she said. "Tell me we're not done yet."

"We're not done yet," I said, smiling at her enthusiasm.

"Fuck yeah!" she said, pumping her fist in the air.

"Jeez, Alice," I said. "I don't think I've_ ever_ seen anyone this excited about shopping before. What is it that you love so much? I mean…they're just clothes."

Alice crossed her arms immediately. "Bella, Bella, Bella. Honestly, sometimes I wonder if you use your brain as much as you claim to." She walked up to me and wrapped her arms around my shoulders, pulling me closer as her eyes met mine. "Shopping is fun yes: I love to look at and try on all of the different clothes and shoes and jewelry, but it's so much more than that. I love to see all the different cuts and lines that the designers come up with and I love getting to see and feel all of the different fabrics, materials and metals they've used to create their visions. I mean hell, I even love all the tiny details, like the stitching on a good handbag."

Her lips pressed against mine. "I'm excited because I'm with _you_, the woman I've loved since I was a little kid. My angel. My vampire. For once, we're together without stinky werewolves or bloodthirsty killers or any sort of crappy drama. Just you and me. And that is something I have wanted for a long time now. _That_ is why I'm happy, you dork. Plus, it's shopping."

"Alice…" She kissed me again, and I kissed her back more vigorously before we pulled away. "Thank you. That means a great deal to me."

"You're welcome, Belly-Button," she replied, snickering. "So what's next on—" Her stomach growled before she could finish her sentence and I watched her cheeks turn bright pink. "I guess that answers that question, then." She bit her lip. "Lunch?"

"For you," I said, chuckling. I retrieved a small thermos from my purse. "And for me, I guess. Any ideas on where you'd like to go eat?"

She thought about it for a moment before smirking. "Panda Express. I'll lead the way."

She took my hand and led me back inside the shopping center to Panda Express, where she got her food—which smelled awful. After she ate her lunch, we took a few minutes to relax and talk about the rest of the day. I asked Alice if she was up for more shopping and she gleefully told me she was. I was fine with it, too.

"Where do you feel like going next?" I asked after we left Panda Express.

"Hmm." She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I say we conquer every store here and buy something for everyone. What do you think?"

"Sounds like a plan to me," I replied. "How about…Charlotte Russe next?"

One by one, we made our way into the mall and went into any other store around that interested one or the both of us. Aerie, Guess, M.A.C., the list went on until the day was mostly spent. The last stop of our shopping excursion was one both Alice and I were mutually interested in: Victoria's Secret.

"Totally worth it," Alice said, beaming once we'd stuffed the bags into the backseat. We bought so much that not only was the trunk full, the backside was nearly full, too. "I think we spent more today than I've ever spent in my entire lifetime!"

"Agreed," I said. "Hungry for dinner?"

"Yes," she replied. "I was thinking…The Cheesecake Factory."

I chuckled. "Then let's go."

We went to the Cheesecake Factory for Alice's dinner, and shortly after she ordered, Alice sighed and rested her head on my shoulder. I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her close, breathing in her rich scent for a silent moment.

"You tired?" I asked.

"Nope," she replied. "It's just…this has been a lot of fun. Thank you, Bella. I love you."

"I love you, too," I replied. "And you're quite welcome."

We started chatting about all sorts of random things while we waited for the server to return with Alice's drink. I didn't pay attention to what Alice ordered off the menu, but she seemed excited for whatever it was. All I knew is that it didn't smell good when it arrived sometime later. Alice, on the other hand, was salivating. Apparently it was one of her favorite meals.

After she'd finished, the waiter came back and she ordered a slice of cheesecake and a cappuccino. As she waited for the waiter, she went to the restroom, at which point I called the waiter over and hastily paid the bill—I had to wait until she left to use the restroom to sneak it, and she was very displeased with me when she returned—and for a while, we remained in the restaurant and talked while Alice finished her cheesecake and cappuccino. I didn't want to rush her.

She smiled at me. "So, back to Forks, I presume?"

I smiled back. "Nope. This is a two day trip, my dear."

That seemed to surprise her. "Two days? But…how are we…?"

"I reserved a one room suite at the Alexis Hotel Seattle for two days," I said, smirking at the dumbfounded expression on her face. "I'm glad you didn't see it ahead of time. I planned on surprising you with it. Oh well. Ready to go?"

She nodded quietly, staring at me with intrigue in her eyes. In truth, there was an ulterior motive for why I'd reserved a hotel room for us rather than simply returning home. I felt that the time had come for Alice and I to mate. We'd been together for a while now and it just felt…right. And I had a funny feeling she had the same mindset that I did. I'd find out soon, either way.

There was a comfortable silence between us as I drove to the hotel. Alice had her hand on top of one of mine and I felt her eyes on me the whole time. Soon, we arrived at the hotel and as the valet appeared to help Alice out of the car, I went around and grabbed the overnight bag. After, I grabbed her hand and we walked inside to check in.

"So…did you enjoy yourself, Ali?" I asked as we entered the elevator. I wanted to be certain.

Alice rested her head on my shoulder. "Yes. Tonight was amazing, Bella. Thank you."

"The night's still young, Alice," I said.

Alice giggled. "Way to sound cliché, Belly-Button."

"Do you have to call me that?" I asked.

"Yes," she replied. "Because it's funny. And cute."

When the elevator door opened, we headed to our room together. In my heart, I knew that the time had come for us to do something that I had wanted for a while now: to mate with Alice. I didn't decide on anything, because part of me was still debating on whether or not it would end well due to Alice being human—not that she was weak, but I wasn't sure if I would be able to avoid harming her by accident, not that I would—but I ignored the thoughts.

The second we got to our room, I opened the door for Alice, followed her in and shut the door and locked it before spinning around to face her. I swallowed down my fears and concerns and stared her in the eyes as a smile crept across my face.

"I think it's time, Ali." I kicked my shoes off and slowly strutted over to her, then reached my hand out to stroke her cheek. "I think we've waited long enough."

"Time?" Her face was turning bright pink. "T-time for what?"

"I think you know," I replied, kissing her neck. I was glad she was only two inches shorter than I was, it made this much easier. "You want it. I want it. And I think it would be a good end to an amazing day, don't you agree?" I nipped at her ear. "Will you allow me the pleasure of making love to you, Alice?" I placed my hands on her shoulders and stared into her eyes. "It's your call."

Alice gaped at me with her mouth hanging open. "Yes," she said after a moment. "God, yes."

"Are you sure?" Despite my best intentions, I was starting to feel hesitant. I'd never made love to a human before, so I knew I'd have to measure my strength so I didn't cause her harm.

Alice grabbed my shirt and pulled me into a kiss. "Don't you dare offer me sex then start to back away." She kissed me again and, amazingly, threw _me_ onto my bed before pouncing on me. "I've waited for way too damn long for this moment, Bella." There was a glint in her eyes that was almost predatory, and I liked it a lot. She was still blushing, too. "You're right. I want you."

We held each other's gaze for a moment of silence, the only sound coming from our labored breathing. "I'm not trying to back away," I said. "I just don't want to hurt you by accident, Ali."

"You won't," Alice said, rolling off of me. "Now strip. I want you naked."

"I like this commanding side of you, Alice," I said. "But I'm not budging until _you_ undress."

Alice smirked as she proceeded to tear her clothes off faster than I thought possible. She was naked in an instant and I felt my jaw fall open in astonishment when I finally saw her entire body for the first time, unhindered by clothes. She was gorgeous.

Her breasts, her stomach—which I'd seen before, but it felt like a new sight each time—and everything else was simply perfect in my opinion. It was like staring at a living piece of art. Alice smiled sultrily as she ran her hands down her body, touching her breasts, her stomach, and her ass. With her smile growing with each passing second, she moved closer to me and helped lift me up.

"Clothes off," she said, kissing my cheek, then slid past me onto the bed. "I'm horny." I shuddered as I removed my clothes, throwing them onto the floor before I joined Alice on the bed. She pulled me closer to her and gazed at my body, her eyes widening. "You're fucking sexy, Bella." Her left hand reached out to brush against my breast. "Damn."

I leaned down to kiss her throat. "Shall we?"

"I want top first," she said.

"No."

I crashed my lips to hers and began to kiss her fervently, curling my arms around her and pressing my body against hers. Her warmth made me shudder. Alice's hands buried in my hair as I kissed her, putting every fiber of love that I felt for her behind each kiss. I kept them light, teasing, because I was thinking of my plan of attack while remembering the advice I'd received.

Our lips danced together and I could hear Alice's heart race in her chest. It was so rhythmical and musical, and soon, our movements were in sync with her heartbeat. Alice, however, clearly wanted to go further, because I felt her tongue slip out and slide against my bottom lip. I moaned at the sensation, then decided to repay the act.

I slid my tongue out and darted across her bottom lip before plunging it into her mouth, causing her to jerk and moan. I moaned as well; the inside of her mouth tasted heavenly. I wondered if we'd even gone this far before as I swirled my tongue around, stopping only to begin battling with Alice's tongue for dominance over her mouth. And damn did she put up a fight.

It took me a moment to overpower her tongue, though I felt that she was simply letting me, but I didn't stop to complain.

Eventually, I broke away from her mouth, eager to taste the rest of her. My mouth watered as I began trailing kisses down her succulent body, Alice moaning and squirming under me, digging her fingers into my hair, which I liked. I kissed all around her throat and neck, pausing to gently suck on a pulse point on the left side of her neck, then the right. Alice was going wild.

"Bella…" she breathed out. "Lower…please."

"Patience," I said against her skin, running my fingers down her smooth body. She shuddered and I smiled. I was going to have fun teasing her.

My lips moved to her breasts first, which I attacked lovingly with my lips and tongue. Part of me yearned to bite her, but I knew better, so I kept my instincts in check as I sucked on and licked her right nipple while massaging her other breast. Alice started pressing her lower half against my body and I could smell the arousal radiating off of her. It aroused and excited me, giving me a burst of energy to speed up what I was doing.

I switched breasts eventually, my desire slowly taking over as I groped and pleasured her, Alice kneading—nearly tearing—chunks of my hair out of my head as she moaned and continued to press herself against me. I was far from finished, yet, however.

Once I was done loving her breasts, I trailed downwards, laying kisses all over her cute, toned stomach. Alice's moaning picked up in pace and strength as I went lower, pausing to briefly admire her cute little bellybutton. I kissed it several times before darting my tongue out to swirl around inside of it.

"Oh fuck!" Alice shrieked, pressing her stomach into my face.

I smiled as I licked her navel. _Yum. Such a tasty weak spot._

"B-Bella!" Alice shouted in between moans. "G-go…l-l-lower!"

I reluctantly departed from her stomach and moved lower, deciding to end my poor mate's misery by going directly to where she wanted me. I was stunned when I parted her legs open, both by the sheer intensity of the scent coming from her—it was heavenly—and how wet she was. She looked like a dam about to burst.

I paused to breathe in her scent and moaned. "God, Ali…you smell amazing."

"Fuck, Bella," Alice said. "Please!"

I obliged her by slipping one finger into her and curling it as I began moving it in and out. I added a second as I kissed just above the warmth. I watched with hooded eyes as Alice's eyes darkened with lust and her cheeks flooded with color. I could tell that she was enjoying what I was doing as she continually bucked her hips against my fingers in an attempt to get them go deeper, harder and faster and after a few minutes of her riding my fingers I could feel her walls start to clench around my fingers as she screamed out my name in sheer ecstasy.

I slowly removed my fingers from her tender flesh and licked them clean, savoring the taste, before I crawled up the bed a little, pulled her body flush against mine and placed a tender kiss on her lips as she struggled to regain her breath.

"Not…done yet," Alice said, growling. "Your…turn."

To my astonishment, Alice pushed me back and attacked my mouth with hers. Within minutes, Alice brought me to orgasm and I was the one gasping despite the fact that I didn't naturally need to breathe. We lay beside each other, Alice damp from sweat and grinning ear-to-ear while I stared up at my ceiling, taking in the fact that Alice was far more vampiric as a human than I'd ever thought she could be. I had to wrap my head around it, but I really, _really_ liked it.

"That was fucking awesome," Alice said, snuggling with me. I turned to stare into her eyes and saw them shining with love and excitement. "I'm glad we finally had the chance."

"Yeah," I said, pressing my lips to hers. "You were…"

"Epic?" Alice said. "Wonderful? Godlike? I know. I've had a little practice, I'll admit, but then again, I watch a lot of porn." She smirked. "And besides, it's you. I told you before that I wanted you, Bells." She shrugged and kissed me back. "Guess we know who the dominant one is, eh?"

I stared at her in silence. "W-what?"

Alice grinned. "Later on, Rosalie and Emmett are going to ask you about who 'the dominant' one was. I saw it right during our breather before I took my turn. Suffice to say, I'm pretty damn certain that I'm the dominant one. I love you dearly, Bella, but…well…" She giggled. "Don't worry about it. Just…thank you, Bella. I mean it. That was an amazing experience."

"I agree," I said. "I _definitely_ agree." We cuddled for a while in silence before an idea popped into my head. "Want to take a shower together?"

"Ooh." Alice's smile doubled in size. "I like the sound of that."

I scooped her into my arms and dashed to the bathroom without another word, although we were both giggling the whole way. Our shower wasn't quite as amazing as the sex, but it was fun and a great way to relax, as well as, in my opinion, the perfect way to end the day. After we'd finished, we changed into more relaxing clothes and headed back to snuggle in bed.

"Hey Bella?" Alice said.

"Yes?"

"Do you mind if, before I'm turned, that I do some things by myself?" Alice asked. "Cynthia and I were talking and we want to do a few human things together, you know?"

"Go for it," I replied, chuckling. "You don't need my permission, Ali."

"I know," she said, kissing me. "But I still like to ask. Thank you."

"So…" I slid my hand up her shirt and began toying with her stomach. "Any ideas on what you'd like to do? You don't look tired and I don't sleep, so we—" My words were cut off by a knock on our door. I frowned. "That's odd. I'm pretty sure we didn't make enough noise to get one of the neighbors upset and I didn't ask for room service. Alice?"

She shrugged. "I can't tell who it is. They haven't made any decisions, nor have we."

The knock came again and I sighed. "Stay here. Just in case." She nodded as I leapt out of bed and headed towards the door. I made certain to prepare my body and my cell phone just in case it was a trap of some kind. I hesitated, then opened the door. I felt my jaw fall open. "Ebony?"

Ebony, my child, was staring back at me from the other end. "Um…hi."

**A/N: Hey everybody, sorry for the delay. School start and...yeah.**

**Needless to say, hope you all liked it. You smut lovers got something and now Ebony has returned. Yay drama!**

**Thanks to my two betas and to my amazing friend/sister AleinWonderland. Big hug to you.**

**Till next time!**


	62. Reappearance

**Disclaimer:** **I own nothing canon. Meyer does. I own only my ideas.**

**Reappearance**

All I could do was stare in astonishment at the sight of Ebony standing before me. It felt like it had been months since I last saw her, and even then, our last words had not been pleasant ones. To see her again, though, filled my heart with a mixture of joy, sorrow and uncertainty. Why was she here? What did she want? And where was Edward?

For the longest time, neither of us spoke or moved. I could hear Alice moving behind me, but she stopped after a moment, and all was silent. I didn't know what to say or do, and Ebony looked like she didn't know either. At the very least, she wasn't attacking me or Alice. That was probably the only good thing present in the situation. But the awkward tension became too much for me after several minutes, so I snapped out of it and stepped into the hallway.

Ebony shrunk back slightly, but remained where she was. "So…" I ran a hand through my hair. "Um…h-how are you doing, Ebony?"

Ebony bit her lip. "Okay, I guess." She paused. "How, uh…how are you?"

"Good," I said.

Dead silence. I swore I could hear crickets chirping as we stood there, not looking at one another directly. I had no idea what to do or say. I was utterly lost, and part of me felt like turning to Alice for some sort of opinion. She was by my side seconds later, as if I'd decided on asking her, although I figured she'd moved of her own free will. Ebony noticed, too.

"Hello, Ebony," Alice said. Her voice was calm, but I could hear a small amount of iciness in it. I glanced at Alice and saw a different kind of turmoil in her angelic eyes as she stared down my daughter. On one hand, I could understand why she'd be conflicted and why she would be icy towards Ebony. But on the other, Ebony was still my child, and I wasn't sure I liked it.

"Hi," Ebony said in a low voice. She pursed her lips and her eyes darted around nervously. "May…may I come in?" She looked at me, and her eyes blazed with an emotion I couldn't register, but I could feel that she was worried and upset about something.

"Sure," I replied. Alice looked hesitant, but said nothing as we walked back into the hotel room. I shut the door and watched Ebony stop awkwardly while Alice plopped down on the bed.

I thought back to the last moment I had spoken to Ebony, when she claimed that I had abandoned her—which, to a degree, was true. I remembered telling her what I knew to be the truth, listening to her deny it, then swearing I could hear her crying as I broke down following her departure. I wondered if she still believed Edward's lies or if she had formed an opinion of her own. Then again, I wondered why she was here in the first place. She hated me.

I cringed at the thought and pushed it aside as I stepped forward. "Ebony?"

She slowly turned to meet my eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" My mind went blank. "For what?"

"For what I said to you," Ebony replied. Her voice cracked and her eyes were growing watery. "Everything." Her shoulders slumped. "I was wrong…I was so, so wrong." She started to sob and part of me wanted to comfort her, but the other part was skeptical. I remained frozen in place as Ebony cried for a minute or so before she rubbed her eyes furiously. "Sorry."

I glanced at Alice, who was frowning, then back to Ebony. "Ebony, I…"

"How do we know this isn't a trick?" Alice asked, vocalizing my own concerns. "No offense, but the last time you showed up, you were adamant that Bella was a liar and you basically threatened to kill us. Now a few months later, you're back and you claim you were wrong?" Alice gave Ebony a sharp look, which my daughter cringed at. "I don't buy it."

Ebony bowed her head. "I can't deny that you're right. I said those things and truly believed that she was lying to me. Father…he said all kinds of things about her and after so many years, they were ingrained into my mind as the truth."

"Why the sudden change in heart?" Alice asked.

"Because I…" Ebony hesitated.

"Don't bullshit us with an 'I saw the error of my ways' excuse," Alice said. "And don't even think of saying that you changed your mind after a day and you had to wait this long in order to escape your bastard father. He can read minds, so he would know if you had changed your mind and I sincerely doubt you'd be here if that were the case."

Even I cringed at that. "Alice…"

"Sorry, Bella, but you know it's the truth," Alice said, offering me a sympathetic smile. "And I'm warning you now, Ebony, if this is a ploy to get us, I'll know and I'll make damn certain Bella finds out. I won't let you hurt her."

I didn't say anything to Alice as I focused on Ebony, watching her reaction. I truly hoped that she wasn't here as part of some plan involving her and Edward. The last thing I wanted was to know that my daughter would forever be his pawn. And yet, Alice's words were sound and expressed my own doubt at seeing Ebony again. I had no idea how to feel or think.

_Damn it_, I thought. This was complicated, more complicated than anything I'd ever dealt with. The tension that built up in the room only made it more obvious as I ran a hand through my hair.

I didn't trust my own child. That alone was horrifying. But I was afraid. Afraid for her, because I had no idea what was going through her mind, afraid for me because I was so utterly lost in how to deal with her, and even somewhat afraid for Alice. What if Ebony was still loyal to Edward and only wanted to kill Alice and hurt me? What if she wanted to do those things of her own free will? I couldn't fight her. I couldn't even bring myself to consider the idea.

Part of my psyche, the part that didn't fully trust Ebony and felt lost, wanted to be anywhere but where I was in that moment. It wanted to crawl into a corner. But I ignored it. I ignored everything running through my mind, because I had to focus on the here and now, not the past. I hoped with all my heart that Ebony didn't have ill intentions. I prayed for it.

"Ebony," I said, speaking softly to her. "Please…talk to me. Tell me what happened. Something must have made you change your feelings about me."

Ebony's gaze met mine and for a moment, she held my eyes. "A couple of things," she replied, her eyes moving away from mine. The awkward tension faded only slightly. "It…started after our last encounter. I did talk to Father. I asked him…if any of what you had said to me was true. But despite what you may think, I'm good at reading him, and…I know how to block out some of my thoughts. I picked it up over the years and I know he isn't aware of it."

"How?" I asked.

She shrugged. "If I concentrate hard enough on one thing, I can think solely of that thing even as I talk and act. I've done it for years. Either way…I asked him and his answers were…shaky. He dodged around a lot of them and at the time, I bought what he said. I thought he was trying to protect me from the truth and I…I was so used to how he acted…"

"As time passed by, I started to notice things. He was…colder to me. Distant. He also started badmouthing you more, especially after your fight with him. He looked like crap after that." She made a face and the tension dissolved almost completely. Almost. "The more I thought about it, the more I…" She hesitated and her head drooped. "I thought about what you'd said, and what I'd experienced and everything else. I couldn't decide…I was so confused.

"That's why I'm here. I want to find out for myself if he was really wrong. I feel in my heart that I was wrong, and that's why I apologized." Her eyes met mine. "Please…give me a chance. I'm going to give you the chance I never thought I would months ago. I feel that it's the right thing to do. Can you do the same for me?"

I let her words soak in as I thought about how to respond. _Of course I know how to respond, I thought. She's my daughter, and no matter what, I have to give her the benefit of the doubt. _I stepped forward to Ebony. "I can and will, Ebony. I accept your apology."

Ebony's lips twisted into a tiny smile. Her eyes shimmered, too. "Thank you." Her voice was barely audible, even to me, but I heard it and saw the truth behind her gratefulness.

I glanced at Alice, whose lips were pursed into a tight line. She said nothing, though, and after a moment her body relaxed. Ebony looked at her, but I couldn't read the expression in her eyes outside of some fear and uncertainty. I wondered if they would be able to get along together, but I decided that would be something we'd address as we came to it.

"So…" I folded my hands together. "Um. Are you hungry?" It was the only question that came to mind, although I wasn't sure if she even ate food in the first place.

"No, thanks," Ebony replied. She looked as confused as I was.

"Okay," I said. I thought of a quick subject change. "How did you know I was here?"

"Your scent," Ebony replied. "I searched around the area I'd run into you before and tracked you from there. It took me a while, though, because your scent moved around a lot."

"Alice and I were out on a date," I said.

Ebony blinked repeatedly and frowned. She opened her mouth as if to say something, then stopped and closed it for a moment. "Oh," was all she said for a moment as she looked away from us, and I got the feeling she felt awkward. It made me grimace. "Um. S-sorry."

"It's okay," I said, although I was partially lying. She hadn't interrupted anything, which was why it was only a partial lie, however. "Do you…" I glanced around and realized that there wasn't a whole lot to do in the hotel room for three of us. "What _is_ there to do…?"

The question was more for myself than anything, but Alice answered. "We could go back to the house," she suggested. "Introduce Ebony to the others, if she wants."

"Oh!" I smiled. "That's a great idea, Alice!" I turned to Ebony. "What do you think?"

Ebony's lips pursed together. "I…I'm not sure."

I stopped for a moment to think about the implications of Alice's suggestion, then realized why Ebony would be hesitant. Until now, she had been with Edward and everyone in my family knew it. They wouldn't be trustful of her, either. I understood that. I also understood that it wasn't the brightest idea to take Ebony to our home. And yet, what else could I do?

_I need Esme's help_, I thought. I would ask her about it later. But for the time being, taking Ebony to meet the others seemed like the best course of action, because if she truly meant what she said, then I wanted a chance to bond with her and a chance for her to bond with the others. They were my family, which meant that Carlisle and Esme were her 'grandparents' and my siblings her aunts and uncles. The thought of us being a genuine family…it made my undead heart soar.

"Please, Ebony?" I asked. "I think it would be good for you to meet everyone. They are, after all, your family too." I offered her a warm smile and she relaxed. "One shot, that's all I ask for. If it doesn't work, I'll take you somewhere else and we'll spend time talking. Sound good?"

Ebony thought on it for a moment, then nodded. "Okay."

I looked to the wall for the clock and saw, to my surprise, that it was close to four o'clock in the morning, something I hadn't even realized until now. I figured Alice and I must have stayed out dancing later than I'd thought, then realized that my poor mate probably needed rest. I immediately turned to Alice and could see the sleep in her eyes.

"Ali," I said, walking over to her. "Let's get you home so you can get some sleep. I'm so sorry. I…things didn't work out the way I thought they would." I leaned in close and whispered the last part in a voice only she could hear. "I'll make it up to you."

"That's okay," she said, stifling a yawn. "I'm fine."

"If you're sure," I said. There was something about the way that she'd said it. She seemed unhappy. I didn't blame her, of course, but I did hope she would relax a little bit around Ebony, and vice versa. I could feel the tension between them even when they weren't looking at or talking to one another. "Alright, I, uh, guess we'll go."

Alice and I made the bed we'd slept in and fixed anything that didn't look right before, then we left the room with Ebony, heading outside to my car. Ebony trailed behind us without speaking, even as I opened the door for her. She seemed like she was elsewhere.

"Are you okay, Ebony?" I asked.

She looked at me and nodded. "Yeah. I'm…just thinking."

"Oh." I smiled, but in my mind, I was cursing myself for not knowing what to say or do.

The drive back to the house was deathly silent. Alice was staring out the window, and I wasn't sure what Ebony was doing. I grimaced. Was Alice mad at me? I didn't know. My mind was full of so many different thoughts, I couldn't put two and two together. I knew my day with her had gone amazingly well, and that we'd made love, and up until the knock on the door, everything had been perfect. But I hadn't talked to her since Ebony appeared. I'd barely acknowledged her.

Guilt sunk into me. "Alice?" I said quietly.

Alice stirred and immediately took hold of one of my hands. "I'm not mad at you, silly. I'm just thinking, that's all. Don't worry, don't think otherwise, it's okay. I love you."

I felt relieved at the sincerity of her words and her touch, so I pushed the pointless guilt away and instead focused on the drive. It didn't take us long to return to the house, which looked empty when I drove up. After I'd parked, I walked with Alice and Ebony to the front door, Ebony walking slowly behind me, glancing around every few seconds.

"Are you alright, Ebony?" I asked. Was that the right thing to ask?

"Y-yeah," she replied. "I'm…okay."

"You don't have to be nervous," I said. "My family is amazing. They're all wonderful and kind, and I know they'll come to accept you given some time. Maybe you'll even come to accept them, too." I hoped she would. And I hoped I was doing the right thing.

_She's my daughter_, I thought. _Of course it's the right thing. And yet…what if Edward is behind this in some capacity? She seems like she generally means what she says, but I can't know for certain without Jasper, and he's not around. I don't want to go into this thinking she's still against me. I can't. I don't want her as my enemy, for crying out loud. But…damn it._

I would have to talk to Carlisle and Esme about it. Hopefully, they would have some sort of advice to give me. Esme, for that matter, could also help me with bridging the gap between Ebony and I. She was my child, but I had no idea how to go about communicating with her or patching things up. I mean, she was a young woman now, fully mature and everything, but she'd been with Edward since her birth. That could mean any number of things.

I had no idea what he'd done to her, what he'd put into her head. And that terrified me.

Once we walked inside, I could tell that the only person present in the house was Cynthia, but she was somewhere upstairs. Ebony noticed as well and I swore I caught a glance of hunger in her eyes, at which point I knew I needed to establish some ground rules.

"There's another human here named Cynthia, Ebony," I said. "She's Alice's sister and off limits in case you consider trying to drink her blood." I paused for a moment. "Do you drink blood?"

"Yes," Ebony replied. "Father taught me how to properly savor the drinking of human blood." She smiled as if remembering something, but then her smile faltered when she looked at me, and then Alice. "Um. Well. T-that was..." I snuck a look at Alice, who had a slight frown on her face and did appear a bit disturbed, but otherwise fine. I decided to offer Ebony a tiny smile so that she understood what the big deal was. She noticed. "You...don't drink from humans."

_Thought so_. I sighed. "We don't feed from humans, no We drink from animals. We've all been doing it for years now."

Ebony grimaced. "Do I have to?"

"I'm not going to force you to do anything, Ebony," I said, holding my hands up. "I'm not that kind of person and neither are my parents. But we'd prefer that you not go around killing innocent humans, either. Maybe…" I rubbed the back of my neck. "Maybe try hunting an animal with me at some point and…if you like it?" She grimaced again. "If not…we'll figure something out."

"Do you eat food?" Alice asked.

"Yes," Ebony replied after a moment.

"There's that, too," Alice said, shrugging. "And yes, please leave my sister alone."

"I won't touch her," Ebony mumbled, bowing her head. "I promise."

"Thank you," Alice said.

"Are you hungry now?" I asked, turning to Ebony. We were standing in the foyer and had been since we walked inside, none of us moving otherwise, although I noticed Ebony looked like she was fidgeting with something in her pocket. I dismissed it. "We could make you something to eat, if you want."

Ebony shook her head. "I'm fine."

"Okay," I said. "Let's, uh…head into the family room, shall we?" Ebony said nothing as we walked into the family room and sat down on the couch. The tension in the room was almost too much for me to bear. I glanced at Alice, who offered me a tiny, apologetic smile, then turned to Ebony. "So, um…do you like to watch TV?"

Ebony seemed surprised by my question. "Yeah, I guess. I don't watch much of it, though. Father says that television is pointless and a waste of time."

"It is," I agreed. "But it's entertaining and a good way to kill time. What about video games?"

"What's a video game?" Ebony asked, staring at us confusedly.

"Wow," Alice said, sounding as stunned as I was. "That…there is no word for that one."

Ebony blinked and looked at us, confused. "What?"

I turned to Alice. "I think I just figured out something for us to do."

She smiled. "And here I thought most normal parents tried to prevent their kids from playing too many video games. Her not knowing would be great for them."

"I'm not a normal parent," I replied. _In a lot of ways,_ I added to myself.

We proceeded to begin explaining what exactly video games were to Ebony, who, even after Alice and I tried our best, was still confused. It made me wonder how repressed she was thanks to Edward's influence, something I would ask about—in a different way—when we had some alone time. But first, I decided the best way for Ebony to learn was to see it firsthand.

Suffice to say, it was entertaining. We ended up giving Ebony a controller and coaching her through several different video games, some of which she struggled with, others she took too surprisingly quickly. She liked the fighting and shooting ones the best.

After several hours, we stopped because Alice, who was growing increasingly tired, had a vision that the others would be back soon. By the time we'd finished playing games, it was after six thirty and I hugged Alice as she began to doze off. Suddenly, she went rigid.

"They're here," Alice said, she said moments later.

Ebony tensed up beside me and I could hear her heartbeat picking up, so I did what I thought was best and reached over to take her hand. It was the first time my skin had come into contact with Ebony's skin and I felt a jolt course through me. It wasn't the pleasurable jolt that I'd felt when Alice and I made skin contact, no. It was…one I couldn't describe. But it felt right.

Ebony's tension slowly went away as I heard the sounds of my family, and just as the front door opened, she squeezed my hand back. Something inside of me jumped for joy and our hands remained locked as each of my family members came inside. Carlisle and Esme were first, stopping several feet away from the couch, surprise forming on their faces.

Rosalie and Emmett nearly ran into them, but managed to avoid it. Regardless, the room became eerily quiet as all eyes were on Ebony, who shrank into my body.

"Hi guys," I said, trying to break the awkwardness. There was a lot of that lately.

"Hello, dear," Esme said. "Who might this be?"

I glanced at Ebony and gestured for her to stand up with me. She hesitated. "It's okay," I whispered. "I'm here. I won't leave your side." She looked into my eyes and I saw the fear in them, but she swallowed it down and slowly stood alongside me. I rested my hand on my shoulder and looked at my parents and siblings. "This is Ebony. My daughter."

Esme and Carlisle let out quiet gasps while Emmett and Rosalie just gawked. "She's…" Esme's voice trailed off. "Oh my." She immediately stepped forward, slowly, though, as Ebony flinched slightly as if she were expecting to be hit. Esme smiled a warm, gentle smile as she walked up to Ebony and tentatively extended her hand. "Hello, Ebony. My name is Esme. I'm Bella's mom."

"Hi," Ebony said shyly. She looked at Esme's hand for a moment, then reached out to take it.

Carlisle stepped up next to introduce himself, followed by Emmett and lastly, Rosalie. "And this is Rosalie," Emmett said, gesturing to his wife. He was smiling his usual goofy grin as he said it; he was the first to openly relax after finding out who Ebony was. "She's my mate-slash-wife and Bella's big sister. Don't let the ice queen routine fool you. She's awesome."

"True," Rosalie said, stepping up to Ebony. "It's nice to meet you in person, Ebony."

Ebony shook her hand. "Nice to meet you, too."

"Before we continue, dear, would you like me to take Alice to her room?" Esme asked.

I paused and turned to see Alice slumped over on the couch, sound asleep. _Crap_, I thought, guilt tugging at me. "No, I'll do it." I blurred over and gently took her in my arms and pulled her close as I trekked upstairs. "I'm sorry, Ali." I whisper it into her ear. "I didn't mean to ignore you like that. I'll make it up to you." I opened the door to her and Cynthia's room and saw Cynthia sound asleep as well. Carefully and quietly, I slipped Alice beside her sister and covered her.

I hesitated for a moment, then slipped the necklace I'd bought for Alice when we went shopping—which I'd had in my pocket—into her hands before pressing my lips to her forehead. After that, I left their room and returned downstairs to find everyone standing exactly where they had been when I'd left. Ebony looked relieved when she saw me.

"I hate to be the one to do it," Rosalie said when I returned to Ebony's side. "But I'm going to ask regardless: what the hell happened? I thought you and Alice were on a date?"

"We were," I replied. "And it was amazing. But afterwards…Ebony showed up."

Rosalie's eyes met mine for a moment before she looked to Ebony. "I thought you were with…?" She gestured with her hand to finish her sentence. "What happened?"

"I ran away from him," Ebony replied. "I…wanted to find my own answers, and I saw the chance, so I took it. For better or for worse…" She looked at me. "I'm here." Then she stopped and bit her lip. "T-that is, if I'm allowed here. I won't…force it."

Esme smiled again. "Of course you may, dear. We'd be happy to have you here."

Carlisle nodded in agreement while Ebony frowned, as if she were confused by something. The confusion wore off, though, and she offered them a tiny smile in return.

"Thank you," Ebony said, bowing her head. She opened her mouth to say something more, but stopped and yawned suddenly. "Excuse me."

"Ah, you must be tired," Carlisle said. Ebony nodded quietly and silence fell over again.

"Where is she going to stay?" Emmett asked, breaking the silence. "You know, sleep and whatnot. You sleep, don't you?" Ebony nodded. He grinned. "Thought so, otherwise why would you be yawning? So…" He turned to Rosalie. "Rose?"

"I can't believe you had to ask if she sleeps," Rosalie said. "Honestly, Em."

He shrugged innocently. "I only asked because…"

"I don't think that'd be a good idea," Rosalie said.

"Oh!" Emmett grinned again. "Good point."

"Hmm…" Carlisle frowned. "Well, she's more than welcome to stay in our room."

"Oh." I smiled. "No need, Carlisle." I turned to Ebony. "You can sleep in my bed."

"Are you sure?" Ebony asked, glancing at the couch.

I rolled my eyes. "Positive. I don't mind sharing."

She yawned again. "Okay."

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Ebony," Esme said as she and Carlisle smiled.

She blushed and ducked her head. "Likewise." After a pause, I led Ebony upstairs to my room. Once we were inside, I turned to my daughter as she looked around, likely taking my room in. She took several minutes before turning her attention back to me. "You have a very nice room."

"Thanks," I replied, chuckling. "It's really not that special, though."

"I like it," Ebony said. "It's…a lot prettier than mine."

I grimaced at the undertone of her words, then decided to change the subject. "Do want something to sleep in? I've got tons of spare clothing."

"I-I think I'm okay," Ebony said. She removed her shoes, but I stopped her before she could get into my bed. She turned to look at me warily. "Yes?"

"Hold on," I said. I was at my closet instantly and knew where I was looking, so it wasn't long before I had a pair of pajamas in my hands. "Here." I handed them to her. "I insist on wearing these because they'll be a hell of a lot more comfortable. I'll turn around while you change, too." She took them from me and stared at them for a moment. "Please, Ebony? I want you to be comfy. And it's not a big deal to me, really."

"Alright," Ebony said, bowing her head. "Thank you." I frowned at her strange behavior as I turned around to give her a chance to change. It didn't take long. "I'm, uh, finished."

I turned back around and held her gaze in silence for a few minutes. "So…" I bit my lip briefly, then gave her an awkward half-hug. "Goodnight, Ebony."

"Goodnight," she replied as she crawled into my bed.

Within an instant, it seemed to me that Ebony had fallen asleep. Her eyes closed, she pulled the covers up halfway, then she began to make a sound that I believed was a quiet snore. I watched for a only a brief moment before I moved to the other side of my bed and gently sat down beside her. I wanted to do something…meaningful. A gesture of some kind. But what?

Oh. I reached my left hand down and began to tenderly give her a head message by slowly running my fingers through her hair. Esme had done it to me many times and it had always helped me relax. True, it was also a romantic gesture, but I didn't even consider that. I only wanted to help Ebony relax further. And it seemed to me that it was working.

I remained still as she lay there, gently running my hand through her hair. I looked down at her for a moment, thinking to myself how all those years ago, I'd brought her into the world and lost her to that bastard. And now, despite everything, here she was, in my home, with me. And as I continued to slowly run my fingers through her hair, which she seemed to like, I realized it.

This was where she was supposed to be. With me. This was my child. No matter how old she was, I was her mother, and it was my duty to be there for her and protect her. To love her, to be there for her…all the things I'd never had the chance to do. The chance was here, now. And I was going to do whatever I could to right the wrongs I'd committed to Ebony.

Slowly, I leaned down and pressed my lips to her forehead. "I love you, my daughter," I whispered into her ear. "I swear to you, I will do whatever I can to make amends. I'll be the mother you've always wanted, and I'll prove Edward wrong. I vow it." I stopped as she moved slightly and mumbled something in her sleep, then smiled. "Sleep well."

I pulled the covers over her then headed to my door. "Thank you, Mama." The words were so quiet, I almost didn't catch them, but the minute I heard them, I froze. I turned around to see if Ebony was awake, but she wasn't. She was sound asleep. Even so, it felt as though my heart had sprung to life for a moment. She'd called me 'mama.'

"You're welcome," I whispered. I felt…overwhelmed by hearing her use the word.

After a moment of soaking in and relishing that feeling, I closed the door and headed to Carlisle and Esme's study room. I knocked once and the door opened, with Esme smiling warmly at me and silently ushering me inside. Carlisle wasn't around, which made it the perfect occasion.

"Hello, Bella," she said. "What can I do for you?"

"I could use your advice," I replied, turning back to face her

"On Ebony?" I nodded. "Of course, dear. Ask away."

**A/N: :D**

**Special thanks to my two betas. **

**Sorry for the delay, everybody. School, my book, the script I'm doing and more have bogged me down a lot. My apologies. **

**Thanks either way, everyone. :)**


	63. Building Bridges

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Twilight series, Meyer does. I only own my characters and ideas.

**Building Bridges**

"I have no idea what to do," I said, folding my hands and staring down at the floor. "It's always so awkward whenever Ebony and I are together. I don't know how to get to know her, Esme, and I'm scared to find out how much Edward has warped her mind. I'm…I'm lost." I glanced at Esme, who moved to sit beside me and smiled warmly at me. "What do I do?"

She placed a comforting hand on my shoulder and squeezed it. "Honey, you know the answer to that question. You talk to her. You make ends meet between the two of you by learning everything you can about her. Find out what she likes, what she dislikes, and so on." She sat down beside me. "It's simple. Or rather, in theory, it's simple. I realize that the situation makes it anything but simple, but there's little that can be done about that, dear."

"But…how?" I asked. "I have no idea what Edward has done to her, Esme. He may have poisoned her to the point where she may not have any likes outside of…" I couldn't bring myself to say the word 'killing' because I didn't dare think it. "And I feel so awkward around her…"

"That's because you can't stop thinking about the past, Bella," Esme said. "When you look at her, you think about what happened with…that _boy_." She spat the word out. "And you're thinking about your last run in with her." Her face softened. "You have to try and move past it."

"What if she's not here for the reason she says she is?" I asked.

Esme nodded thoughtfully. "That's a chance you'll have to take, I'm afraid."

I nodded slowly. "I guess I'm just afraid."

"I understand," Esme said. "Do you want my honest opinion?" I nodded. "Fuck all the worrying. It's pointless and will do nothing but drag you down and make you second guess everything you do. Ebony is your daughter. Your blood. Regardless of what's transpired, I know damn well that there is a bond between mother and child that goes beyond comprehension. With that in mind, you can reach her, Bella. You just have to keep trying.

"I have seen many situations similar to yours in humans over the years. Sometimes, the situations never mended. Other times, I felt that they could have been fixed had both sides been willing to reach out and try to patch things up. I don't know if Ebony wants to truly heal the old wounds left behind by that bastard, but I know that you do. And if you show her that you want to, there's a damn good chance that she'll do the same."

Her words made sense, and it was more or less the same thing that I'd been thinking, and yet hearing Esme say it genuinely made me grow to accept the thought process.

"I think you should take Ebony out somewhere into the woods and have a quiet moment with her," Esme said. "Explain how you feel to her and then go from there, dear. Be honest with your intents and I'm certain it will help you in the end. Don't lose hope."

"That's the hard part," I said, taking her words in.

"I know," Esme said. "Believe me, Bella. I know." She gave me a side hug. "I believe in you, though. You don't need my help in this. For one thing, you're not giving yourself enough credit. Look at everything you've gone through recently. Sure, you've made mistakes, but we all do. I made plenty of them when I was a young vampire and when I was human." She chuckled. "The point is…don't let this beat you down. You can do this. Just talk to her."

I bit my lip. "Okay." I needed to think. I wasn't disregarding Esme's advice, I just needed some time to myself to let my thoughts converge. "Thanks, Mom." I planted a kiss on her cheek and she returned the gesture. "I really appreciate it. I'm…gonna go think."

"Alright, dear," Esme replied, smiling. "I'm here for you if you need me."

I thanked her again, then exited her room and headed downstairs before turning to go outside.

I sat with my face in my hands on the back porch, losing myself to my thoughts. I was tossing around Esme's advice with my own uncertainty and decided that she was right. I had to do whatever I could to make ends meet between Ebony and I and show her that I wasn't the person Edward had made her believe. I wasn't perfect, no, but if I proved his theories wrong entirely, then maybe there would be hope for our relationship. That made me smile and raise my head.

"Hey, Bells." I turned to see Emmett standing behind me, grinning. "What's up?"

"Not much, Em," I replied. "I thought you and Rose were upstairs having 'fun time'?"

He's grin doubled in size. "Oh, we already did that. Actually, I wanted to come and check on you since you were all broody and shit earlier." He came and plopped down beside me, wrapping one burly arm around my shoulders. "Why don't you tell your big brother what you're so worried about and let him help you out, eh? I'm good for it and we both know that."

I scoffed. "Good for what? Making lame jokes and ogling your wife?"

"Hey!" He pouted. "My jokes aren't _that _bad!"

I rolled my eyes. "You keep telling yourself that, Em."

Silence fell between us for several minutes before Emmett spoke up. "I'm serious, though. I know I've never been good at the whole 'advice' game and I know you went up to chat with Esme and all, but I'm here for you, you know?"

I rested my head on his shoulder. "I know, Em. I appreciate it, too."

Emmett gave me a light squeeze. "Talk to me. Tell me what I can do to help."

"You can find and locate Edward so we can capture and torture him?" I offered.

Emmett's body tensed up. "You have no idea how badly I want to grab that fucker, beat his ass around the world, then bring him here for you to rip apart. Then, we put him back together and do it all over again, only slower and with fire. We just keep repeating that until we've all gotten our fury and aggression out on the bastard before we make him squeal like the pig he is. And when that's finally done, he can die a slow, painful death."

I stared up at my older brother. "Wow, Em. That…sounds awesome."

He beamed. "Yeah, but it's just a dream right now. But don't worry. We'll make it a reality."

"I know," I said. _He'll suffer, that much is for certain._

"Let's change topics," Emmett said. "Talking about that asshole will just piss us both off." He paused for a moment. "So…your daughter."

I grimaced, but pushed that aside. "Yeah?"

Emmett hesitated. "Well…tell me about her. If you want, I mean."

"I'm not sure what you want me to say," I said. "I barely know anything about her aside from the fact that she's been through hell no thanks to that bastard."

"Yeah, that sucks," Emmett said. "What'd Esme say?"

"She told me to suck it up and talk to Ebony," I replied. "I mean, she didn't word it _that _way, but that's basically what she said. And I agree with her."

Emmett laughed. "She's not one for mincing words either way."

"True." I sighed. "What would you do, Em? If she was your daughter?"

Emmett frowned. "Well, I would…" He paused. "Huh. That never occurred to me. Lemme think about it." He closed his eyes and thought about it for what felt like maybe a minute before shrugging. "Okay, done. So, if Rose and I had a daughter that was half vampire and all that jazz and something like this had happened, which would suck, but oh well. I…I'd totally take her out to have the time of her life, you know? Movies, arcades, sports, concerts, stuff like that."

I glanced at him amusedly. "So you'd spend a lot of money on her?"

"Well, no, I mean…yeah?" He frowned. "I would do fun stuff with her. Stuff she liked to do. Yeah, that's what I mean." He beamed at me. "Who knows? Maybe she likes all the awesome things Rose and I do?" He wiggled his eyebrows and I smacked him. "Ow! Not like that!"

"Then why did you wiggle your eyebrows at me?" I asked, appalled.

"Um…force of habit?" he replied, smiling sheepishly. I glared at him. "Okay, okay, bad joke. Sorry. But seriously. See what she likes and then use that to your advantage, but not like, you know, to bribe her into it. Do it gradually. Just…do stuff with her. That's what I'd do. Hang out and have fun, get to know her. Just don't spring 'the talk' on her for a while, okay?"

"Emmett!" I shouted, pulling away from him and growling.

"What?" he asked, holding his hands up. "It'll come up some time, right? And it's not like that ass-kissing douchebag has taught her anything?" He paused again. "Well, considering the fact that he probably likes to take it up the ass and then some…no, he's probably too closeted to bother admitting something like that to his kid, and I've officially grossed myself out."

"You've done the same to me," I said, shaking my head. "Do not bring the topic of sex into this, Em. Got it? That's private and don't joke about it." I glared at him and he nodded sheepishly. Then again, I couldn't help myself from cracking a small grin. "That last part was actually pretty funny though." I giggled. "I bet he likes it real rough, too."

Emmett looked disgusted, but a broad smile danced across his face. "With chains and leather and a flaming pole. That would totally suit him. It'd have to be real small to fit up there, though."

"Unless he likes it big," I said, shifting between giggling and wanting to gag. "God, I really have to get away from you and Rosalie for a while." I covered my face with my hands.

"Dude," Emmett said. "I just had the most disturbingly hilarious image in my head."

"I don't wanna know."

"Yeah you do."

"No, I _don't_."

He nudged me. "_Yeah _you do."

I groaned. "I think I'm done talking with you, Em." I shot up. "Thanks for coming to check on me. I gotta go inside to…do stuff." I quickly turned, but Emmett followed me.

"I'm serious!" he said. "There was a ball gag and he had all these scars on his body with a HUGE fiery sword shoved right up his—"'

"Emmett McCarty Cullen!" Esme yelled from upstairs, although her voice was quiet enough to not wake up the three people sleeping in the house. "What are you talking about down there?"

I shot him a dirty look, but he just beamed. "Something funny!"

"Rose, where are you?" I whined. Rosalie appeared from upstairs within seconds, glancing between us curiously. "Take him away, please."

A fine eyebrow lifted. "What'd you do now, Em?"

"Nothin'," Emmett said, snickering. "Up the ass!"

"Gah!" I covered my eyes and closed my eyes before sprinting out of the house, suddenly welcoming the faint burn that formed in my throat.

After I drank from two deer close by, I returned to the house and saw the Cynthia was awake now. She was walking out of the kitchen and the faint scent of human food lingered in the air, so I figured she'd just finished eating as well.

"Hey Cynthia," I said, smiling. Emmett and Rosalie were nowhere to be seen, so I was glad that, for the moment, I wouldn't have to listen to Emmett's horrible—although admittedly funny—brain-bleach inducing comments about Edward.

She smiled back. "Hiya, Bella. Did you and Alice get drunk on your date?"

I chuckled and shook my head. "No, why?"

"Cuz she is out of it," Cynthia replied. "I haven't seen her that dead asleep since we got drunk one night while our parents were gone. Of course, I don't remember much after that aside from throwing up and having a killer headache the next morning, but…damn, it was fun." She blinked and blushed. "Um, I mean…so what's up with you?"

"My daughter is here," I replied. Cynthia's eyes bulged. "Don't worry. She's not going to hurt you or Alice, I promise. In fact, I plan on taking her out today and spending some alone time with her so I can get to know her better."

"How did that happen?" Cynthia asked. "I thought…never mind."

"It's a…long story," I said. "Ask Alice, if you want. She'll tell you."

Cynthia frowned, then shrugged. "As long as she doesn't try anything…"

"It'll be okay," I said, placing my hand on her shoulder and giving it a light, reassuring squeeze. "Trust in me, at the very least. You know I'd never let anything happen to either of you."

"I know," Cynthia replied. "I trust you, Bella. I just…I'm protective of Alice. After everything we went through with our parents and the shit we dealt with before we met your family…" She trailed off and sighed. "Never mind. I don't want to dwell on the past. Right now is more important, isn't it?" She walked into the family room and I followed. "Can I ask something?"

"Of course," I replied. "Anything."

"Is it worth it?" she asked, looking into my eyes. "Becoming a vampire, I mean."

I thought about it for a while. "It's a double-edged sword," I said. "I can't put it into any other words. Sure, the power, the speed and being able to resist almost everything in the world is decent enough. You enjoy certain things more, too. But at the same time, you lose a lot and there's a lot you have to go through. And the bloodlust will always be there. Always."

"Am I making the right choice of becoming one?" she asked quietly after a pause.

I sighed. "I can't give you a right answer there, either." I turned to face her. "If you choose to become a vampire, you have to choose to make it worth it. You can wallow in misery over being a monster, you can become a killer without any cares in the world, you can embrace it and learn to cope with it…in the end, it's all up to you, Cynthia. How you use it and how you feel are things that fall back on the choices you make. You don't have to do it, either."

She nodded. "I know." There was something in her eyes that showed that she was thinking hard on the subject, so I decided to leave her in peace. "Thank you."

"No problem," I replied. Just as I left the family room, I ran into Ebony. "Oh! Ebony. Morning."

"Morning," she replied, rubbing her eyes.

"How'd you sleep?" I asked.

"Good."

We stood there in silence for a moment before I decided to spring my question. "Do you want to go for a walk in the woods?" I asked. "Not too far, don't worry. Just…enjoy nature together."

Ebony looked at me and considered it before nodding. "Um, sure."

With that said, we headed outside and started walking together towards the forest. I caught sight of Rosalie and Emmett, but I said nothing to them and instead simply focused on leading Ebony to a place in the woods that I'd considered as a good place to take her.

Ebony and I walked in silence for a while, and while I was simply enjoying the scenery, I had no idea what was going through my daughter's head. We stopped when we reached the spot I had intended to take her: a beautiful meadow with a waterfall to one side and flowers on the other. I'd been there several times in the past, but this was the first time I'd stopped to really take a look at it. It was a lovely scene to behold, and Ebony seemed to agree.

"Wow," she said. "It's…really pretty out here."

"It is," I agreed, moving briskly towards a large, flat rock. I sat down facing the waterfall and patted the spot next to me for Ebony, who joined me seconds later.

Silence fell between us, that same damn awkward silence, but after a while, the awkwardness began to dissipate and I felt more at ease. I pushed my worries aside and slowly turned to face Ebony, who was looking around, taking in the scenery no doubt. I waited until her eyes met mine before smiling at her, which seemed to surprise her. Even so, she smiled back a little.

"To be honest, I brought you out here for a reason," I said. "I…look, Ebony. I don't know what your ultimate goal truly is. I don't know if this is you or Edward trying to get at me, but I don't care, because in the end, I'm going to do my damndest to be a better mother. That's why I brought you here. I wanted to get to know you better, in private, if that's okay with you."

Ebony bit her lip and stared away from me for a moment. "Okay."

I waited for her to say something more, but she didn't. So, I began. "What's your favorite color?"

"Blue," she replied. "Black is my second favorite, then red."

"Favorite human food?"

She smiled a little. "Pizza. It's awesome."

"I'll have to take your word for it," I replied. "What about…weather?"

"I love the rain," Ebony said. "It's soothing when it's gentle and entertaining when it's intense, and it feels so refreshing on my skin. Not too fond of thunder and lightning, though. And I like the sunshine." She glanced at me. "It doesn't affect me the same way it does full vampires. It just makes me warm and…happy." She chuckled. "That sounds stupid, doesn't it?"

"No," I replied. "I can understand why it'd make you feel that way. They invented all those clichés about the sun and happiness for a reason, right?"

"True enough," she said. "What about you?"

"I don't mind the rain," I said. "Personally, I prefer plain cloudy weather, though. No sun, no wind, no rain. It's not that I don't enjoy those things, but…I like the clouds for some reason, even when it's gray and somewhat dull out. I guess that says a lot about my personality, doesn't it?" I chuckled and Ebony cracked a small smile.

"What about color?" she asked.

"Blue," I replied. "And green and black."

"And what about…" Ebony paused. "Um, food?" She stared at me oddly for a moment. "You drink blood from animals, right? Why?"

I looked into her eyes for a long moment. "Because it's the right thing to do." She shrunk back a little and I gently touched her shoulder. "That's how Carlisle and Esme, my parents and creators, taught me when they changed me shortly after…your birth. It took me years to learn how to control my bloodlust, and even then, it was difficult for me. That's not the point. The point is…I believe that hunting animals instead of humans is better in a lot of ways."

"Father says that…your way of life is flawed," Ebony said. "He said that humans are weak and are going to die anyways, and that we're at the top of the food chain, so it's only right that we feed on them. Their lives mean nothing to us, after all. That's what he's always told me."

"Ebony," I said. "You're part human." I pointed to her chest to emphasize my point. "I was human when you were born, too. Does that mean that I should have died then and there?" Ebony grimaced. Emotions surged in her eyes and she looked away, uncertain. I decided that it was better not to get into such a deep topic right now, since I didn't want her to close up. "Let's never mind that, huh? We can save it for later." I offered her a tiny smile. "Tell me about your likes."

"My likes?" she asked after a moment.

"Yeah," I replied. "You know, hobbies. What do you enjoy doing?"

"Oh." Ebony frowned. "I…like to go for walks and enjoy nature?"

"That's always fun," I said, nodding in agreement. "What else?"

Ebony hesitated. "Uh…I…don't really have any…others."

"Why not?" I asked, frowning. She shrugged and the look on her face made it clear to me that she didn't want me to continue asking, so I dropped the subject. I knew, though. Edward. He probably forbade her from having any enjoyable activities outside of killing and torturing humans, or whatever it was the sick bastard indulged in. "Um…how about…"

"M-Mom?" Ebony said. Her voice was soft, almost a whisper.

Hearing her refer to me as 'Mom' tugged at my undead heart. "Yes?"

"I lied to you," she said. The words struck me and I turned to face her fully. Her eyes were downcast as she slowly looked up at me. "B-back when…when I saw you before and I yelled at you about you abandoning me…" She paused and I grimaced at the memory. "I said that I'd been captured and tortured, which was how I got my scars." She bit her lip. "That was a lie."

I gaped. "What?"

Moisture started to build in Ebony's eyes. "Father…he was the one who gave those to me. He gave them to me whenever I did something wrong, or when I got out of line. He said that a good woman should never question the words of a man. That men are always right and that we live to serve them, and without them and their guidance, we're empty. Meaningless."

"_**He did WHAT?!"**_ I roared, springing to my feet. The rage boiled inside of me, but I did my best to calm myself down. I was shaking with fury as Ebony stared at me, fear swirling in her eyes while I took in unnecessary breaths. Somehow, it helped calm me down. I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to relax, before I reopened them. "He…_**HE **_gave you those scars?"

"Y-yes," she replied, curling her legs into her body.

I grimaced when I saw the look in her eyes. She was scared of me. And for some reason, all I could see was that same fear reflected in her eyes whenever Edward became enraged with her. I swallowed down my rage instantly and slapped myself for added effect, much to Ebony's surprise. Then, slowly, I sat back down beside her.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I'm not trying to turn my anger onto you. But…" I twitched. "I can't believe he did that to you. But why would you make up a story about it?"

"Because I wanted to see how you would react," Ebony whispered. "I was mad at you. I wanted you to suffer and feel guilty for abandoning me, but then…then you brought up how you knew who the Volturi were and it caught me off guard." She hung her head. "I wasn't lying in full about running into them. We really did meet them and…things happened."

She sighed. "I'm not telling you this to make you feel bad. But…you deserve to know. I was wrong about you, and the more I thought about it, the more I started to think that maybe I was wrong about Father, too. I mean…I always thought the beatings…I thought I deserved them. I thought I was doing wrong. I-I…I mean…was I wrong? Or…"

"Ebony," I said, reaching out to touch her shoulder. "Your _father_ was wrong. You didn't deserve any of that. None of it. That's _not_ how a true father treats his daughter?"

She looked at me warily. "How would you know?"

"Because I had good parents," I replied, staring into her eyes. "And they raised me well." I swallowed roughly. "Something that you didn't have, but needed. But now…now I have the chance to fix that. I want to be there for you, Ebony. I want to be the mother you needed for years. I know I can never make amends for all that lost time, but I truly wish to try. And even if you refuse, I still love you, my daughter." I stroked her face and smiled. "With my whole heart."

Ebony's bottom lip trembled as she looked at me. "I…I…"

A strange smell caught my attention, and Ebony's too, and I turned away from her. I recognized the smell: werewolf. And I knew this one in particular, too. Jacob Black.

"What's that smell?" Ebony asked.

"Shh." I stood up. "Stay put."

I was right. But I was wrong, too. Jacob Black was not alone. He and eight others appeared before us in their human forms, surrounding both Ebony and I. Some of them seem surprised to see Ebony, but none of them said or did anything regarding her. I didn't care about that, either. I cared that we were now surrounded by unfriendly wolves.

"Jacob Black," I said, keeping my voice calm.

"Cullen," he said, shooting me a dirty look.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

He narrowed his eyes. "What do you think, you filthy leech?"

I stepped in front of Ebony protectively. "Listen to me, Jacob Black. I know you hate me. You hate my kind. You're angry at us and you blame us for what happened to your poor father and your people. I get it. I've been there, whether or not you believe me. But this…" I gestured to myself, watching his dark eyes carefully. "This isn't going to bring you justice. Killing me might make you feel better, but what does it accomplish? One less vampire in the world?"

He said nothing and simply stared back at me, anger and confusion in his eyes. The others were equally angry and confused. Some glanced at Jacob as though they expected him to answer me, but his face was a blank, yet bitter, mask. He seemed to not know what to say.

"Don't do this," I said, speaking slowly and softly. "My family and I are not your enemies. We've done you no intentional ill will and we never plan to. Please. I'm begging you, swallow your anger and hold onto it for the vampires that _deserve_ to be slaughtered. If you really have a vendetta against us, then save it until the Thorne coven is destroyed."

His lips twitched. "Tell me something."

"What?"

"Leah Clearwater," he said. "Where is she?"

"In Denali, Alaska," I replied, watching his reaction. "She asked to become one of us, and with Raina's permission, we changed her. She's currently learning how to control herself away from human lives." The anger began building again, but I remained calm. "Why do you ask?"

"You had no right to turn her," Jacob said, growling. "What the fuck was Raina thinking?! That just gives _you_ more numbers!" His body began trembling, but after a moment, it stopped. "And yeah, right, like you cowards are gonna stick around here for much longer. You'll kill us the minute we waste those other bloodsuckers, then leave like nothing happened!"

_What is __**wrong**__ with this guy?_ I wondered. "Why are you so hell-bent on killing us?"

"Because you're vampires!" he shouted. "You kill! I don't care what lies you come up with, you've got innocent blood on your hands! And now, you've turned one of our own into a lifeless, walking corpse!" He shook his head furiously. "No! I won't allow it! You're a danger to humans everywhere, no matter what you say!" He gritted his teeth, then smiled. "And that's why we're gonna kill you, leech. First you, then your precious 'family' that you love so much."

"Don't," I said. "Please. I don't want to fight you!"

"Too bad," he said. Then he roared and his body erupted into a massive wolf.

The others followed suit and I leapt back, shooting a quick glance at Ebony. "Get out of here," I said as the massive wolves surrounded me. "Go!"

"No," Ebony replied. "I'm not leaving you."

"Ebony, damn it, I'm your mother!" I shouted. That seemed to startle the wolves, even Jacob, which I used to my advantage. "Now please, do what I ask and get the hell out of here! Tell the others! I'll handle the wolves for as long as—"

My words were cut off when Ebony curled back her lip and let out a guttural, lion-like snarl as she leapt forward, slamming into one of the wolves as it was lunging at me. I was stunned, but I immediately pushed that aside as the pack of nine wolves closed in around us. I grabbed Ebony—gently, of course—and yanked her back to my side.

Suddenly, I heard several snarls echoing from behind me. In seconds, Rosalie and Emmett appeared by my side, mowing down several trees in the process to join me. Carlisle and Esme weren't far behind, either. All four of them stood by my side and I glanced at each of them.

"Alice," Rosalie said simply, cracking her neck.

Another roar suddenly erupted from the opposite end and three more wolves appeared, but I recognized them by the color of their fur: Sam, Emily and Raina. That made the numbers even.

**A/N: Aaaaand yeah. Sorry about the lack of posting anything. I've been dealing with a lot in real life, primarily school and some personal things. **

**I promise I won't wait ten thousand years for the next chapter. I am really, truly sorry again to everyone.**

**Peace.**


	64. Paws And Fangs

**Disclaimer:** **I do not own the Twilight stuff, Meyer does. I own only my characters and ideas.**

**Paws And Fangs**

The entire area was eerily quiet for a moment. No one moved, or spoke or even growled. Jacob and his wolves remained frozen where they were, most of them alert. Their eyes flicked around at each of us. In some, I could see worry. In others, uncertainty. Only Jacob and a select few wolves had a mixture of rage and some other emotion flashing in their eyes, especially Jacob when he looked to his sister. Raina bared her teeth at him. I couldn't see her eyes, though.

I used the silence to glance around at my family members. Carlisle and Esme looked tense. I knew from experience that they didn't like fighting unless they needed to—or if the enemy was one they reviled, a classification only Edward and the Thornes fell into—and given the fact that the wolves were all young, I doubted they would bother to truly fight.

Rosalie and Emmett, on the other hand, looked anxious and ready to fight. Fighting was something they reveled in, and while I partially did to, I hoped they wouldn't kill the wolves.

And then there was Ebony. I looked over my shoulder at her and saw that she didn't have much of an expression on her face outside of a mixture of confusion and intrigue. She suddenly blinked and met my eyes, however, then scooted closer to me.

"What's going on?" she asked in a low voice. "What are those things? Werewolves?"

"I'll explain later," I said, whispering quickly to her. "The three facing them are our allies. The others are our…" I hesitated. "Enemies, for the time being. Listen, Ebony, if a fight breaks out…" I paused as several growls boomed through the area and I knew a fight was about to begin. I also had a gut feeling Ebony could hold her own. Edward would have trained her, but she'd kill without mercy. "Don't kill them, okay?"

Ebony's look of surprise at that confirmed my suspicions. "Why?"

I couldn't explain it to her because a bellowing roar erupted through the area and all the wolves on Jacob's side lunged for the attack. I immediately shot forward to tackle the wolf coming at me, just as another shot by me. I grabbed its tail before it could too far, however, and slung it over, slamming it into the one I'd already taken down. Emmett was quick to grab one and toss it in a different direction, leaving me with an opponent of my own.

I sped around and slammed my fist into the wolf's back, and I heard the bones crack as I did, then I grabbed it and threw it into the air. With all my strength, I leapt up and dropkicked the wolf away from me, sending it flying and crashing into a nearby tree.

That gave me a moment to look around and see what was going on. The others were fighting, one-on-one battles all around, focusing on the most vicious battle of them all: Raina vs. Jacob.

I watched as Raina and Jacob rolled around, gnashing at each other with their massive jaws and clawing at everything around them. Their bodies moved quickly, and even though they were as big as full grown horses, they were hard to keep up with. Then again, I was quick to snap to attention when another wolf lunged at me, leaping over it—I didn't know what gender it was—with ease, although it spun around quickly to try and bite my head off. I leapt to the side.

I recognized the wolf as Paul due to the coloration as he skidded to a halt and growled. I crouched down as he charged towards me again. He was quicker this time, and smarter, too. His massive mouth opened and shut speedily as he tried to grab hold of me, but I backpedalled around and away from him while I kept my eyes on the others fighting around me.

Suddenly, Paul dug his face into the ground as I stopped. Immediately, I surged towards him then darted to his right, but before I could get in close, Paul spun and tossed a chunk of dirt at me. I growled and rapidly brushed the dirt from my face and let my instincts help me move when he attempted to lunge again, but what I didn't expect was to be bulldozed from behind.

Another wolf. He or she had me pinned to the ground instantly and I could hear their breathing as a growl erupted from their throat. I snarled and pushed myself up with every bit of strength inside of me and managed to throw them off, but Paul was there just as I'd gotten up. Rosalie, however, slammed into him to prevent him from tearing my head off in one go.

"Tag team?" she asked, taking my hand and lifting me up.

"Sure," I replied.

The two wolves circled around us, growling low, and I snuck a quick look around at the others. Jacob and Raina were tearing into each other like there was no tomorrow and Emmett was having a blast wrestling with his wolf opponent, but the others weren't as engaged. Carlisle and Esme weren't trying to fight the wolves. I knew they weren't. They'd defend themselves and step in if they saw an opening to help us, but that was it.

Emily and Sam, on the other hand, were fighting wildly with their opponents. They weren't quite as brutal as Raina, but they weren't avoiding it, either. Just like Emmett, who was acting more like an animal himself, they were growling and clawing at the wolves they fought against.

And then there was Ebony. Paranoia struck me briefly as she wrestled around with her wolf opponent. The urge to jump in and protect her nearly tore me from my focus, but I could see her fighting better than I would have expected. She was fast and vicious, too, repeatedly sinking her teeth into the wolf, although it simply yelped and shook her off.

I snapped to attention the instant I felt Rosalie tense beside me and we moved in sync against the two wolves. They were no pushovers either, however, and they were quick to respond to our actions with their teeth and paws, even their bodies. We kicked them, punched them and tossed them around, but they just kept coming back. Clearly, they regenerated faster than we'd thought.

_So what do I do? _I wondered. How would this fight end? I had no idea.

The wolf successfully sank its teeth into my leg and I hollered for only a second before I began bringing my fists down on the top of its head to get it to release me. It did, but it was quick to ram into me immediately after. And damn did their bodies hurt. I flew backwards and rolled in the dirt, nearly colliding with Emmett as he was flung backwards as well.

"Damn, these dogs are tough!" he shouted, jumping to his feet. "But_ I'm_ tougher!"

He roared at the wolf when it roared at him and the two began wrestling around while I got up and rapidly glanced around to make sure that Ebony was okay. She was okay. Fighting well. But I couldn't watch for long. Something clawed at my back and I rolled to the side, grimacing.

It lunged at my throat and I grabbed it by the mouth, and while a part of me wanted nothing more than to rip its head off, I resisted the urge and simply snapped its mouth shut, which I followed through with by slamming my fist repeatedly into the top of its head. Then, I grabbed it, sank my teeth into its back to inject my venom into it, and finally, slammed it with all my might into the ground, enough to create a small crater. The wolf twitched and groaned.

_One down_, I thought. _For the moment._

My eyes quickly scanned around to see if anyone, wolves included, needed aid. None of them did until I saw Jacob and Raina's fight once more. Jacob had bitten into Raina's right flank and slammed her into a tree, blood gushing out from the wound.

I rushed forward, knowing Raina didn't need my aid, but I opted to use my time to help regardless. I thrust my left knee forward, directly into Jacob's face just as he looked to be ready to rip into Raina's back. It knocked him backwards, but because I didn't use all my strength—and apparently, he was more durable than I'd thought—he didn't go far.

I dodged when he spun around to try and snap at me, then backpedalled just as two wolves flew to my left. I didn't pay attention to them, though. I watched Jacob Black instead.

Jacob's hate-filled eyes flashed to me, but I felt like he was looking past me. With a bellow, he tore forward and I collided with him, but he was stronger than the previous wolves, and he managed to push me backwards. His teeth sank into my forearm and I gritted my teeth together as I clawed at his face, only for something else to collide into him, knocking him off me.

I gripped my arm and got up, confused as to what it had been. It was almost like…a shockwave.

I turned to see Ebony glaring at Jacob, teeth bared. "Stay away from her, you beast!" she shouted, snarling. Jacob was quick to get up, however, and charged at her.

No! I pushed myself forward, but teeth sank into my left leg, causing me to collapse to the ground. I snarled and started kicking the wolf that had me in the face with my other leg until it let go, then I slammed my left foot into its throat, knocking the wind out of it. I heard scuffling and growling behind me, as well as a whimper that sounded like Ebony, so I hastily bolted up and spun around just in time to see Jacob toss Ebony to the side. Then he lunged for her.

"No!" I screamed, flinging myself on top of Ebony.

Jacob's giant mouth nearly tore my head off, but Raina rammed into him at the last second. She snarled and I watched in astonishment as her teeth tore into his throat, and for a moment, they both remained still. Then, blood splattered everywhere as she moved her head to the side. Jacob couldn't even scream. Raina, however, did not give him the chance to heal, and with one movement, I watched as Raina tore her own brother's head off. The giant wolf head rolled around on the ground for only a moment before it transformed back into a human face, eyes wide with pain, shock and rage. His body returned to human form as well.

_Raina, however, did not give him the chance, and with one movement, I watched as Raina tore her own brother's head off. The giant wolf head rolled around on the ground for only a moment before it transformed back into a human face, eyes wide with pain, shock and rage. His body returned to human form as well._

I was speechless as I slowly stood up. The others ceased fighting altogether. The wolves were frozen with wide eyes. Everyone was silent as Raina tilted her head up and unleashed the loudest heartbreaking wail I'd ever heard in my entire life. It made me cringe.

For a moment, everything was still once more. Raina looked down at the body of her brother lying motionlessly before her. Then, she looked up and roared directly at the other wolves. She leapt at each of them and gnashed her teeth at their throats, but didn't touch them. Most of the wolves whimpered and fell to their knees. Only a few resisted, but they caved as well.

I had no idea what was going on, but I assumed she was reassuming control over them as their Alpha and leader. Why else would they react in such a way? Eventually, all the wolves held their heads down to the ground as Raina growled fiercely and started walking away. In seconds, she was gone, without even bothering to look our way. Three of the wolves carried Jacob's remains with them, followed by Sam and Emily, and then finally, all the others.

Except for one. One wolf, with eyes dark and full of rage, didn't budge. Instead, it's eyes flashed as it scanned each of us and its lips curled back, as if it were grinning at us. It flinched for only a moment before it bolted and took off past us, and at first, I had no idea what it was doing. The others had all retreated alongside Sam, Emily and Raina, so then why…? My eyes widened when I realized that there was only one reason that I could think of: he or she was going after Alice and Cynthia. But why? I shook the thought off. It didn't matter.

"Bella?" Rosalie said.

"I'm going!" I shouted, dashing after the wolf.

I moved at full speed, but even then, I wasn't able to catch up to whoever it was. And then I got to the house and saw the wolf snarling at Alice and Cynthia, who were both outside, Cynthia holding Alice back as if Alice planned on attacking the wolf with her bare hands.

The wolf slowly made its way towards them and I snarled. "Get away from them!"

It snarled right back at me and prepared to lunge. Cynthia grabbed Alice and tossed her aside and just as the wolf leapt forward, I tapped into my gift. Everything around me slowed down, and I dashed forward and grabbed the wolf before forcefully throwing him—I caught a glance and knew—in the opposite direction, directly into a tree. Time then began going normally as the wolf squirmed to his feet, and he growled. I could just imagine how confused he was.

"Get. Away," I warned. _**"NOW."**_

The wolf barked out what I presumed to be a laugh, but suddenly, Emily and Sam appeared, one on each side. They snarled at him and he snarled back, yet in the end, when he attempted to barrel past them to come at me, they chomped into his flanks and brought him down. He whined and thrashed about as they dragged him away, and with that, they were gone.

I allowed myself to calm down after that and immediately spun around to check on Alice and Cynthia. Neither of them were harmed in any way. They simply looked worried, especially Alice, who threw herself first at Cynthia, then at me. I wrapped my arms around her as she squeezed me and pressed my lips to the top of her head.

"It's okay, Alice," I said. "It's okay." I glanced at Cynthia, meeting her eyes for a moment. She nodded as if to confirm that she was okay before she returned inside and I sighed in relief.

"You got hurt," Alice said. "I saw it. I saw _all_ of you getting injured."

I released her and looked down at my torn up clothes, even taking note of the bite marks. "Yeah, but we survived," I replied. "That's the most important thing: we all survived, and the wolves that were following Jacob didn't die. They didn't deserve to die, for that matter." I paused for a moment and reflected on that statement. Did Jacob deserve to die?

He hated us. Fine. He wanted us dead. Again, fine. I wasn't going to fault him for having his own beliefs given what he'd dealt with in the past. He had good reasons to hate vampires and I wouldn't have blamed him even if he hadn't suffered that way. We were dangerous, and many of our kind had no qualms with killing so long as they didn't upset the balance created by the Volturi. Not only that, but he was a young kid, regardless of how many years he'd lived.

It didn't matter now, I supposed. He was dead. I did, however, feel for Raina. She'd lost her father to a vampire attack that came from out of nowhere. She'd lost her mother long ago to vampires. She'd lost friends and relatives. And now, she'd lost her little brother. Guilt and remorse flooded through me as I thought of what she was going through. The pain and anger…God, I couldn't bear to think of how I would feel in her position.

I put myself in her shoes and imagined losing Carlisle and Esme, as well as all my siblings. And then, to make things fair, I imagined having to kill one of my siblings. It wouldn't have mattered who it was. The agony I felt just thinking about it was enough for me to tear the thoughts up and never think of them again. And I knew that Raina would feel the same. Worse, even.

"Bella?" Alice's voice pierced through my thoughts and I looked back at her. Her eyes were shimmering as she cupped my cheeks. "What's going through your mind?"

I sighed. "I was…thinking about Raina. I know it's stupid to ask, but…can you see…?"

Alice closed her eyes for a moment and lowered her hands to my waist. "Raina's…decided to leave Forks for a while," Alice replied slowly. "I can see her…talking to Sam and Emily. She's going to tell them that they're in charge of the wolf pack for the time being. She needs time to mourn her brother and think. She doesn't know how long she's going to be gone."

I nodded and sighed again. "Will she be stopping by here?"

Alice paused, then shook her head. "No. She's just going to turn into a wolf and leave. I'm…" She paused once more and frowned. "I can see a good amount of her future, but it fades after awhile. I can only see so far…but, either way. I don't know how long she'll be gone for."

"Do you know when she'll make this decision?" I asked. "Or rather, when it will occur?"

"Tonight," Alice replied. "Within the next few hours, Raina Black will be gone."

"I feel for her," I whispered. I caught wind of the scents of my family—and heard them, too—and turned around in time to see them dashing towards us, Ebony with them. I planted a kiss on Alice's cheek, then walked over to them, checking each of them over before I stopped on my daughter. "Are you alright, Ebony?" I glanced her over and saw no wounds of any kind.

"Fine," she replied, smiling. "That was…fun."

"Hell yeah," Emmett said. "I mean, we didn't get to kill anybody, but, you know…"

"Emmett," Esme said, eyeing him sharply. "Killing wasn't the point of that battle. It's sad enough that Raina had to kill her own brother. Please, don't make light of a depressing situation." He pouted and nodded. "I'm glad that it's over, at least. It's one less conflict that we'll have to deal with and at least now, the pack will be whole again." She frowned. "Right?"

"Yes," Alice replied, coming to stand beside me. "But Raina will be leaving for a while."

"The poor woman," Carlisle said. "Is there anything we can do for her?"

Alice shook her head. "No, I don't think so."

"What could we do?" Rosalie asked. "She killed her own brother after losing so much. I know I often harp on the mutts…err, wolves, but shit, even I feel for her. No one should have to go through that kind of trauma."

"Agreed," Esme said. "We'll let her grieve in peace. Should she need our help when she decides to return, we'll be there for her, and should the other Quileutes need our help, we'll be there for them as well. They deserve more than that, but there's not much else we can give them."

"Other than vengeance," I replied quietly. "Eventually."

"Speaking of which," Emmett said, glancing at Alice. "Did you see anything about our oh-so-courageous enemies? Or are they cowering in the corner somewhere cuz they know we'll tear their asses apart the moment they set foot anywhere near Washington?"

"No," Alice replied. "I've seen…flashes of Edward, but little else."

Ebony flinched and I grimaced. "What sort of flashes?" I asked.

Alice met my eyes. "Nothing concrete, Bells. They're very vague. I just see him moving sometimes, and I've seen him talking to someone once, but it was quick. I couldn't tell who it was other than it didn't look like one of the Thorne vampires."

"What of Jane and Riley?" Carlisle inquired, sharing a brief look with Esme. "Unless, of course, it's too much, in which case, please, ignore that I said it."

"They're in Italy," Alice replied, frowning. "But…I can't see much else."

"At least they're alive," Emmett said, grinning.

I watched Alice's eyes glaze over for a moment as Emmett and Rosalie brushed past us. "Ebony, dear?" Esme said, turning to my daughter. "Would you be willing to come with Carlisle and I for a few minutes? We wish to speak to you about a few things, if that's alright? If you don't feel comfortable, that's fine. You haven't been around us much to trust us well enough."

Ebony glanced at them, then back at me. "It's okay," I said, offering her a tiny smile.

"Okay," Ebony replied, nodding.

She followed along with them as Cynthia walked up to Alice and I. "Cynthia," Alice said, turning to her sister. "Are you sure you want to bring this up now?"

Cynthia nodded. "Bella, can we talk in private, too?"

"Sure," I replied, confused as Alice sighed. "Alice?"

"I'll be inside," she said, pressing her lips to mine before heading inside.

I returned my gaze to Cynthia. "What's wrong?"

"I just…wanted to walk and talk," she replied. "Is that okay?"

I nodded silently and we began to walk together. "What's on your mind, Cynthia?"

"How do you do it?" she asked. "How can you…you just stopped a werewolf from tearing my sister and I apart and I can see that you were damaged, but…you act like it's nothing."

"As far as my injuries are concerned, I've had much worse," I said. "For you and Alice? You're both fine. You're safe and sound, not a single scratch on you, and in my mind, that's all that matters. So, I stopped worrying the moment I confirmed you were both okay. Why?"

She shook her head. "It scared the shit out of me. Seeing that wolf's angry eyes and thinking about what would have happened if it had succeeded…"

I stopped and gently placed my hands on her shoulders. "Cynthia…" She looked up at me. "I understand that it frightened you, and I'm sorry I wasn't fast enough to prevent the wolf from getting that close in the first place. But you have no reason to think about it succeeding, because it didn't, nor will it ever. I apologize from the bottom of my heart for letting it get that close, but I promise you, you're both going to be safe from here on out."

"I know that," she said. "I'm not blaming you for what almost happened, Bella. But it got me thinking…in that moment, I felt utterly powerless. I pushed Alice out of the way, yeah, but what good would it have done if things had been different? I couldn't have protected my sister, or myself, and I realized that." She paused and frowned. "That's why, I wanted to ask…"

"About your transformation," I finished. I could see it in her eyes.

"Yes," she replied. "I know this sounds crazy, but in that moment, it felt like time was slowing down and all I could think of was that wolf ripping my apart, then tearing into Alice. I felt so utterly helpless…" She shuddered. "I don't ever want to feel that way again."

"Cynthia," I said. "First of all, you wouldn't have been helpless. Humans may not be as strong as us, but they can fight. I've seen humans wound a vampire before because their adrenaline was pumping like crazy and they were fighting for themselves or for someone else. The shifters are our mortal enemies, and while they're strong, they're…not as durable as we are.

"My point is, you could have fought back and hurt the wolf. You could have clawed out its eye or jabbed it in the throat or something like that, and it would have been enough to get you and Alice inside. I'm saying all of this because I don't want you to suddenly become a vampire based on one instance in which you and Alice were put in harm's way. I told Leah the very same thing when she wanted to be turned because she wanted revenge only. It's not a wise idea."

"And why not?" Cynthia asked, scowling. "Why is my desire to be strong enough to protect my sister a bad thing? Wouldn't Rosalie do the same if you two were humans?"

I considered that for a moment. She had a point. Rosalie was fiercely protective of me, just as Cynthia was of Alice. But Cynthia and Alice had a blood bond, something that ran even deeper than my bond with Rosalie, Victoria, Jane or my brothers. I could see that. Hell, I could feel it too as I stood there facing her. The intensity in her eyes gave it away.

"I'm right, aren't I?" Cynthia asked, smirking. She had the same smug grin Alice did.

"You are," I replied. "But think for a moment before you go leaping into this. Leah thought it over. She thought long and hard, because we made damn sure she knew what she was getting into. You know, I'm well aware. Just make sure that it's what you want, Cynthia. And be sure to be ready for it, too. You don't get a second chance. If you're truly serious, then we can talk with Carlisle and Esme about it later to make preparations."

She nodded slowly. "Okay."

"You realize you won't be able to see Alice for a while, right?" I asked. "I'll have to take her away from the house while the transformation sets in."

"I know," she replied. "I understand that."

"Good." I patted her shoulder and smiled. "You two are insane, you know that?"

Cynthia laughed. "Well, I always knew Alice was. Guess I inherited the craziness from her."

"Uh huh," I said. "Sure, Alice's crazy got so big it decided to leech onto you and drag you down into the madness too, is that it?" She grinned and nodded. "I'm sure _she'll_ be happy to hear that."

"Oh please." She scoffed. "What the hell is she gonna do about it?"

"I would not underestimate your sister if I were you," I said.

Cynthia rolled her eyes. "If she does anything, I can easily burn her precious Barbie dolls or tickle her or something. She's easy to take care of." She smirked again. "Speaking of which, I know a few things about her that you don't, and I'm sure you could use them to your advantage while I'm gone." Her smirk widened. "Wanna hear them?"

I grinned. "Sure."

"Well, for starters, she talks in her sleep about you and I've seen her with her hand down—"

"DON'T YOU DARE FINISH THAT SENTENCE!" Alice roared, tackling her sister to the ground from seemingly out of nowhere. Alice snarled and glared down at Cynthia with the reddest face I'd ever seen. I could hear her heart thundering in chest, too, and I took an involuntary step backwards. "I _will_ kill you if you even think of telling her any of that, dammit!"

Cynthia just laughed. "Yeah right, Alice. As if."

"That's a lovely shade of red you're turning, Ali," I said. Alice turned her glare on me and the red deepened. I could hear the blood pulsing in her face, but I ignored it and simply offered a playful smile. "Now, am I to presume that you, Miss Brandon, touch yourself at night to thoughts of me?" Alice's eyes bulged in horror while Cynthia laughed. "That's adorable, Ali."

Alice sputtered as Cynthia tossed her off and switched their previous positions. _"Oh, she don't want anybody else, when she thinks about you she touches herself!"_ she sang.

"I'm gonna KILL YOU!" Alice shouted, flailing her arms.

I stopped myself from laughing—the poor girl was embarrassed enough—and simply lifted Cynthia off her and pulled Alice into my arms. Her entire body was hot, especially her face, as I kissed her neck and hugged her. Eventually, she relaxed and the warmth subsided, as did the sound of her heart going crazy within her. That was a relief for me, too.

"It's okay," I said as she wrapped her arms around me. I kissed her cheek, then moved my lips to her ear. "I touch myself to you in my spare time, too." Alice's body froze as I released her and Cynthia burst into laughter at the stunned look on her face. "Now, why don't we head inside, hmm?" I sniffed myself and cringed. "I need a shower. Big time."

"Alice could probably use a cold shower herself," Cynthia teased, laughing when Alice whirled around and snarled at her like she was a vampire.

She continued to laugh as Alice chased her back into the house and I allowed myself a grin as well. It reminded me of the relationship I had with my sisters, especially Rosalie.

I sighed and dashed inside, and three hours later—among which included a shower and tickling both Alice and Cynthia when they wouldn't stop wrestling around, which had was extremely fun to watch—I was wearing a clean set of clothes and sitting in the family room, cuddling with Alice on the couch. Cynthia was upstairs with Carlisle and Esme, talking about her decision, while Rosalie and Emmett were…around. I didn't need to guess to know where they were.

Alice's body twitched slightly all of a sudden. Vision. "Oh," she said, turning towards me. "Emily is on her way here to speak with us. Should we get Carlisle and Esme?"

I waved it off. "Nah, I'll talk to her."

"You mean _we'll_ talk to her," Alice replied.

I chuckled. "Yes, Alice. We." It didn't take long for Emily to arrive and knock on the front door. I was there in a flash, Alice following behind as I opened the door to greet the scarred-yet-lovely female wolf. "Hello, Emily. I'm sorry about Raina."

Emily nodded solemnly. "It can't be helped. She made a choice and she's chosen to punish herself for it, even though most of us don't fault her. It wasn't an easy choice, but…"

"Couldn't she have spared him?" I asked. "And brought him back to her side?"

"No," Emily replied. "Two Alphas cannot co-exist together. It simply isn't possible. They would have fought until one was dead or exiled, and neither of them were having that. Jacob wanted freedom to destroy your family, then hunt down those responsible for attacking our home. Raina wished to maintain our peace and work together. What's done is done, however.

"I came here to bring this up, but I forgot that your mate can see the future. However, I did want to ask about something. Two things, actually. One, how is Leah doing?"

"Well," Alice replied. "She's…adjusting to her lifestyle. I haven't seen much of her, I'm afraid, but I know that she's alive and doing the best she can."

Emily smiled a little. "That sounds like her. We're cousins, you know."

"Really?" I asked, surprised. "That explains the resemblance."

Emily laughed. "Yes, only I became a wolf whereas Leah always had the spirit of a wolf." She sighed and shook her head. "My second question was regarding you, Alice, and your sister."

"The answer is yes," Alice replied, tilting her head to one side briefly. "And yes to the second part, too. Cynthia is up there speaking to them about it now. I'll probably wait until school's out or something before I turn. There's still a few more things I want to do first, and it would probably be best if I waited, anyways." She glanced at me. "Three newborns wouldn't end well."

"No," I said. "It would not."

"I see," Emily said. "Thank you. You have our permission for the two transformations, so long as you guarantee that no harm will come to the denizens of Forks or the surrounding area."

"You have our word," I replied. "We'll leave before we turn Alice. I promise."

Emily nodded. "That wouldn't have been necessary, but thank you. Goodbye, Cullens."

"Bye," I replied. "And don't forget, Emily. We're here if you need us." Emily smiled, then spun around and exploded into a white wolf before taking off. I wrapped my arms around Alice and closed the door. "Well…now what?"

"Hmm." Alice tapped her chin in thought before looking up and smiling at me. "Kiss me?"

I smiled back. "I'd be happy to."

**A/N: And thus ends Jacob. That is my (belated) Christmas gift and New Years gift to all of you! That, however, is not all...**


	65. Turning Point

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight series, but I own my own characters and ideas.**

**Turning Point**

Four days later, the date was set. Cynthia had decided to become a vampire. She and Alice had talked about it for the past two days until Cynthia ultimately made the decision for today, Monday, as the day she wanted to be turned. Carlisle and Esme had gone through the same instructions with her that they had with Leah. She said she was ready.

"You're sure about this?" Alice asked. She, Cynthia and I were sitting together outside on the front porch and Alice had asked her the same question at least a dozen times by now.

Cynthia groaned. "For the last time, _yes_, Ali. I am."

Alice sighed. "I'm just making sure, Cynth. I want you to be sure, you know?"

Cynthia reached out and took Alice's hands in hers. "Ali, I love you dearly. You are my best friend and the best psycho-I-can-see-the-future sister a girl could ask for. Yes. I am positive about this. I want to become a vampire. I've thought it over. I've had dreams and nightmares about it. Hell, I talked to half of the Cullens about it. I even called Leah."

"What'd she say?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"She said that her throat hurt like crazy and that she was…struggling," Cynthia replied, frowning. "She said that she missed all of us, but wouldn't say much else. She did, however, say that she looked forward to seeing me when I joined her there in Alaska."

Alice sighed beside me and I turned to see a conflicted look in her eyes that vanished quickly. "Well, so long as you're sure, then okay," Alice replied. "And I love you too, even if you're an annoying pain in the ass half the time."

"Oh please!" Cynthia said. "_I'm _a pain in the ass? _You're _one to talk."

Alice stuck her tongue out. "I got it from you, big sis."

"Whatever," Cynthia said, rolling her eyes. "I'm gonna go take a shower."

Cynthia walked off after that and I chuckled at the girls' banter. I was going to miss listening to them tease and poke fun of one another while Cynthia was off learning to be a newborn, but then, Alice would be joining her soon enough, so I wasn't too worried. However, I did notice that Alice wasn't moving, and the odd look returned to her eyes as she scowled downwards.

"Alice?" I walked over to her when she looked like she might cry. "What's wrong?"

She grimaced. "I've been…holding some things back."

"What kind of things?" I asked.

"About Leah," she replied. "She's…killed some people."

The last words were so quiet, I almost didn't hear. Almost. "What?!" I nearly shrieked the words, but I kept my voice down and she turned to face me. "When did you see this?"

"Only once," she admitted, shame in her eyes. "I told Carlisle and Esme, but…no one else."

"Alice." I wrapped my arms around her, grimacing at her words. Leah. Innocent people. I sighed and pulled her close to me. "She knew what might happen going into this…" I felt Alice tense up in my arms until she slowly relaxed. I felt guilt. Guilt for Leah, guilt for Alice, but most of all and importantly, guilt for the people. "How many?"

"Six," she replied, gripping at the back of my shirt. "I saw…flashes of them. I saw Leah losing control. I saw her fighting off Jasper and Victoria. I…oh God." She buried her face into my neck and I hugged her slightly tighter as I ran one hand through her hair. "To see it, even in pieces. I tried to call Victoria and Jasper to warn them, but I was too late. I failed them, Bella. I failed those people. Their friends and families. I…I could have…"

"Alice," I whispered, kissing her cheek. There was no easy way to talk of this kind of topic, but I knew one thing for certain. "This is most assuredly not your fault, Ali."

"Bella," she said, whimpering. "I saw them before they happened! I had a chance to—"

"How did you see them?" I asked. "Through your dreams?"

Alice faltered. "Well, y-yes, but…"

"But _nothing_," I said. "You were asleep when you saw these things, Alice. And even if you _had _warned them, it might not have stopped it from happening. Those humans didn't deserve to die, no. They were in the wrong place at the worst possible time, and it wasn't even their fault. Jasper, Victoria, the Denalis…they knew what was at risk. They knew Leah was a newborn. But no amount of preparation will ever be enough. These things, terrible as they are…happen."

"Why?" Alice asked. She looked up at me, tears welling in her eyes.

I gently rubbed her cheeks, wiping the tears away. "I don't know," I replied. "I wish I knew. I've asked myself that question each time I took a life without wanting to. I lost control. We all did, except for Carlisle. But he's lived knowing that his loved ones have killed. Even today, he blames himself for each life. Esme does as well. It's a curse we all deal with. That's why we stressed why this is such a big deal. This is _not _an easy existence.

"There is no justification any time we take a life. None. It's wrong. It is horrible. We should feel guilty for it, for taking a life away from loved ones. Every life is sacred. That's something Esme and Carlisle taught me when they turned me, because before, I'd taken it all for granted."]

"Is there anything that you can do?" she asked.

"Do our damndest to make amends," I replied. "Not for our sakes. No. For the sakes of the humans around us, whether we've wronged them or never met them before. That's why Carlisle and Esme work to save as many lives as we can. That's why, when we move next, the rest of us are going to do what we can to help. We've done a little in the past, but…not enough."

Alice nodded slowly and kissed me. "I should tell Cynthia, shouldn't I?"

"Yes," I replied. "She needs to know."

"She'll be pissed at me," Alice said, sighing. "Damn it."

I kissed her back. "It's okay, Ali. Go and tell her. I'll still be here."

"Alright," Alice replied. "Thanks, Bella. I'm sorry again."

"Don't apologize," I said, giving her shoulder a light squeeze. "Now go, love."

She nodded and flitted off to find her sister while I leaned on the railing and sighed. I could just imagine what was going through Leah's mind right now. And the families of the humans she'd killed. Things were not pleasant in Denali right now. I doubted they would be for quite a while, and soon they would have another newborn to deal with. I sighed.

_Too bad there isn't another place that would be easier_, I thought. A throat clearing from behind me and I immediately turned around to see Ebony standing a few feet away. "Ebony." I smiled and gestured for her to come closer, which she did. "Hey. How're you?"

"Alright," she replied, glancing around. "I, uh…heard you and…Alice talking."

"Oh." I grimaced. I should've paid better attention. "Sorry about that."

"Who's Leah?" she asked.

"She's the soon-to-be-official newest member of our coven," I replied. "She was a friend of Alice and Cynthia's over on the Quileute Native American reservation of La Push. It's…complicated, but she ended up losing her family and we took her in. Carlisle and Esme turned her some time later and now she's in Alaska, trying to train herself."

"But not doing too well?" she said.

I sighed. "It would appear that way."

Ebony's lips twitched. "Can I…ask something?"

"Of course."

"Did you mean what you said?" she asked, staring at me with the oddest look. "About human lives being sacred and that you all plan on helping humans when you move?"

"I did," I replied. "In the past, we've tried. We don't talk about it much, because in the end, that's all it was: a try. And even then, we had a lot of…issues. My control wasn't the best, nor was my self-confidence and there was a bit of drama going on around us, so it made things complicated. But now that I've gotten better control and things have become a bit smoother, Carlisle and Esme have talked about it with me in privacy.

"And as far as human lives being sacred, yes. I believe that. My parents believe that. My siblings believe that. We may not have felt that way at points in our lives, but we've come to. The others may not always talk about it, but at our cores, it's part of who we are. We were human once. And, truthfully, we're trying to make amends for our wrongs and be human again, or as human as possible." I paused to reflect on how…wordy I was being. That was odd, in my opinion.

Ebony frowned as she soaked my words in, or at least, I believed that's what she was doing. Either way, she didn't say anything for several minutes and simply stared off into space. I watched several emotions appear in her eyes, namely confusion and frustration.

"I don't understand," she said. "Father always raised me to look down on humans. He said that I should hate my human side and embrace my vampire side, because vampires are better than humans in every way. We're Gods. He…" She shook her head. "Why do you care?"

"Because if I didn't…" I hesitated to choose my words carefully. "If I didn't care about human lives, then I would be a true monster. Not a God. In my eyes, there is one God, and we're nothing near him, _especially_ if we callously kill humans. Your Father doesn't believe that. He's cruel and twisted, Ebony. He's also a manipulative liar. He's raised you to think and behave the way he feels you should, which is to say, like _him_."

I stopped again and walked up to her. "Take it from me, Ebony. I've killed before. I may have enjoyed the blood, but when I realized what I'd done after? I was horrified. I was heartbroken. And above all else, I was mad at myself. I hated what I'd done and grieved for every single person whose life I ended. They didn't deserve to die. And yet, I took their lives."

"They would have died anyways," Ebony whispered. Her resolve was weakening, it seemed. Her eyes flashed with pain and it looked as if she were warring with herself.

"That doesn't matter," I replied, shaking my head. "Humans are not our cattle despite what many believe. Yes, many feed from them, but to do so without caring about whom we kill and who we're hurting is _wrong_ on so many levels. That is why we choose to abstain from human blood."

Ebony faltered and I removed my hand from her. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't get so…ranty about it. I've just been raised to believe in these ideals and I hold them close to me." I grimaced for a moment, then kissed her cheek. "I just want you to understand my point of view. Okay?"

She nodded. "O-okay…"

"I'm sorry," I said again.

"It's fine," she said, shaking her head. "I just…need a moment."

She walked off and I sighed.

I headed inside at that point and simply sat down to wait. Alice returned some time later and told me that, while Cynthia hadn't been happy with her, she'd understood Alice's thought process and Alice was relieved from it. She came and sat with me and we cuddled for a while until after Ebony returned. By then, Cynthia had come downstairs to announce that she was going to be turned by Carlisle and Esme. Apparently, she'd went to speak to them after talking to Alice.

"Are you sure?" Alice asked, once again.

"Do we have to start this?" Cynthia asked in response.

"Fine, fine," Alice said.

"I'll get my keys," I said, standing and running to fetch my keys from my room. When I returned, Alice and Cynthia were hugging in a very touching moment that I dared not disturb.

Alice and Cynthia hugged one another for about ten minutes straight, neither one letting the other go. It was sweet to see them this way, and I felt for them. Ebony soon came to stand beside me, watching on with a mixture of confusion and longing in her eyes. I briefly wondered why that was, but then I mentally smacked myself, because I knew why.

I reached out and gently took her hand. "You okay?"

She looked down at my hand, then up at me. "I…" She hesitated and, after a moment, squeezed my hand. "Yeah. I'm o-okay." Her lips curled into a tiny smile. "Thank you."

I nodded and returned my gaze to Alice and Cynthia as they finally tore away from each other. "Are you two going to turn this into a big production?" I asked teasingly, trying to lighten the mood up a bit before we left. "We can hold it off, you know."

"No," Cynthia said. "I'm sure. If I don't do it now, I'll chicken out of it."

"You're a chicken naturally, so that wouldn't be anything new," Alice teased.

Cynthia rolled her eyes. "Have fun, Ali."

"Yeah," Alice replied. "You…too."

She threw herself at Cynthia again to hug her until Cynthia had to pry her off. "Alice!" she shouted. "For the love of God, I'm not vanishing off the planet! Christ!"

"I know," Alice said, sighing. "I'm sorry, Cynth. I'm just scared."

Cynthia kissed her cheek. "I'll be fine, you derp. Go enjoy spending time with your girlfriend, why don't you? I'll call you when I can, or I'll just make a decision to and you'll get a vision of it instead, alright?" Alice nodded and walked over to hold my other hand. "Later, Bella. Goodbye, Ebony. It was…nice meeting you. Take care of yourselves and Alice."

"She won't have to for long," Alice muttered.

"Bye, Cynthia," I said. "Tell Leah and the others I say hello."

"Will do," she replied.

And with that, I released Alice and Ebony's hands and led them outside before I ran to drive my car out of our garage. Soon enough, they were both inside and I smiled as I stared forward. Cynthia was going to be turned and I had a chance to bond with my mate and my daughter in the same sitting. My smile faltered slightly. What could possibly go wrong?

"So," I said. "Everybody buckled?" I turned and saw that both of them were buckled and waiting. "Alright, good." I hesitated. "Any suggestions on where to go?"

"I thought you had an idea?" Alice asked, lifting an eyebrow at me.

"Not really," I replied, shrugging. "Not this time, at least."

"Smooth planning," Alice said, giggling.

I scowled as I revved my car up. "Hey, why do I have to do all the planning around here? Because I'm a vampire?" I drove out of the opened garage and clicked the button to close it before driving off. "Why don't you think of something, Miss I-Can-See-The-Future-So-That-Makes-Me-Awesome?"

Alice laughed. "Seriously, Bella? That's the best you can come up with?" I shot her a playful glare and she laughed again. "Okay, okay, fine, I'll be nice and do the deciding this time." She tapped her chin for a moment and hummed to herself. "Well…I'm hungry."

"Ebony, are you hungry?" I asked.

"For…food," Alice said.

"She knows that," I said, shaking my head. Although I didn't blame Alice given her visions and the tension between the two of them. That was one of my many reasons for doing this: I hoped it would give all three of us a chance to get closer, especially Alice and Ebony.

"Yes," Ebony replied quietly. "I haven't eaten any solid food for a few days, actually."

"Do you have a restaurant in mind?" I asked.

"How's about…Applebee's?" Alice said. "There's one in Seattle. I can give you directions, if you'd like." She flashed me a lovely, if a little cocky, smile. "Is that okay, my poor vampire?"

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not the one who eats that crap, and for the record, I know where it is."

"Fair enough," Alice said. "Ebony, does that sound good to you?"

"Um…w-well, I…don't really have a preference," she replied.

"How come?" Alice asked. I decided to keep quiet and focus on driving. "Do you have a preferred restaurant for when it comes to food? I like Applebee's, sure, but it's not my favorite place." Alice glanced at me with a playful smile before turning around to face my daughter in the backseat. "It's on my top favorite list, though. What about you?"

Ebony hesitated before she answered. "I don't really have any. I've never been to one before."

"Really?" Alice said.

"Father wouldn't let me," Ebony replied. "He said that human restaurants were a waste of time and that they smelled horrible. He…he told me that I didn't need human food. He said that I could easily survive off of blood alone, and he was right. There were a few times that I got curious and tried some food, though. He got mad when I told him, though."

"Oh." Alice was silent and I watched her bite her lip out of the corner of my eye. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Ebony replied. "What sorts of food do they have?"

"All kinds," Alice replied. "I guess it depends on what kind of food you like, though. Do you have any preferences from what you've tried in the past?"

"I like meat," Ebony said. "Especially rare meat." I heard her lick her lips. "It's delicious."

"Nice and bloody, huh?" Alice asked.

"Yup," Ebony replied, and I could hear the smile in her voice. "What about you?"

"I'm the same way," Alice admitted. "I love me some meat, _especially_ with a little blood."

I laughed as I made a turn. "Natural born vampires."

"Befitting, don't you think?" Alice asked, flashing me a brilliant smile. I peered in the back seat and saw Ebony smiling as well, just as beautiful. "So…Ebony. Do you like Barbie dolls?"

I laughed as their conversation took a turn for the strange: Alice explaining to Ebony what Barbie dolls and why she liked them, as well as a number of other random topics with Alice having to explain a lot of things to Ebony. On the one hand, I found it cute and funny to listen to, and I could see the genuine interest in Ebony's eyes each time I turned around.

On the other, however, it saddened me. Edward had kept Ebony completely sheltered for years, manipulating her into believing that his beliefs were right and that everyone else was wrong. I could see and hear it when she talked. She often stopped herself mid-speech, and I knew that if she hadn't, she'd likely let Edward's opinions spill out instead of what she truly felt. I saw the difficulty in her eyes. It broke my heart and made me hate Edward all the more.

About an hour later—I drove slow for a change to give Alice and Ebony time to bond—I pulled into the parking lot of the Applebee's restaurant and parked. The moment I stepped out of the car, I was hit by the various stenches of the food from within. My nose wrinkled involuntarily as I waited for Alice and Ebony. Ebony didn't seem bothered while Alice was practically drooling.

"I still can't see how this place is appealing," I mumbled.

"Oh hush," Alice said, linking her arm around mine and Ebony's. "Tally ho!"

The three of us marched inside and were soon seated at a table—thankfully—underneath a fan, so at least I could use my nose without complaining too much. I sat beside Alice while Ebony sat across from us, looking around awkwardly at all the humans. She grimaced and I watched her entire body tighten up and shrink into itself, like she wished she wasn't there.

"Ebony?" I reached my hand out towards her, but she didn't move. "What's wrong?"

Her green eyes were filled with a mixture of emotions as she looked at me. "How can you stand it?" she asked. "How can you not…want them?" She inclined her head to the humans across from us as her nostrils flared. "There are so many people. I can smell_ all_ of them and they all smell…." She shuddered and bit her lip. "I'm sorry. I'm just…not used to being surrounded by so many humans at once." She whispered the last part. "It's…strange."

"Do you want to go somewhere else?" I asked.

She took several deep breaths in and relaxed somewhat. "I…I think I'll be fine. Once we order food, that is." She looked like she was about to say more, but our server appeared.

She greeted us, handed us menus and then asked if we knew what we wanted to drink. I ordered water, since I could drink it without ill effect, Alice chose Pepsi and Ebony went with water since she had no idea what any of the beverages actually were. The server smiled, then disappeared while Ebony and Alice opened their menus. I didn't touch mine.

"See anything you like, Ebony?" Alice asked after a moment of silence.

"I don't know what any of these things are…" Ebony replied.

"Hmm." Alice frowned and I watched her close her eyes. She was silent for several minutes, even after the server returned with our drinks. Immediately after, her eyes opened. "You should try what you're thinking of trying, Ebony. I'm sure you'll love it." She then turned and flashed a smile at our server as she ordered her meal—I took a drink of water without listening.

"I'll take _this_," Ebony said when the server turned to her. "…Please."

"Okay and how would you like that prepared?" asked the server with a smile.

Ebony blinked. "Um…"

"Why not try rare?" Alice suggested.

Ebony nodded. "Rare."

"Alright, and how about you, Miss?" The server turned to me.

"Oh, I'm not hungry," I said, smiling politely. "Thank you. Alice?"

"The steak and shrimp," Alice said. "Rare, please."

"You've got it," the server said before walking off.

"What did you order, Ebony?" I asked, curious.

Ebony shrugged. "The same thing as Alice."

I glanced at Alice, who smiled sheepishly at me. "What? She's gonna love it."

"Whatever you say," I replied, crinkling my nose. I opted to change the topic to something we could all latch onto that was safe to speak of in a public place. One was obvious. "So what do you girls feel like doing after you eat? We've got the rest of the day ahead of us to do pretty much anything. Any suggestions? Any hints? Anything at all?"

Ebony shook her head, and it seemed like she was distracted by something, so I turned to Alice. "Hmm." She pursed her lips. "We need to do some fun activity together, but I'm not sure what exactly." Her lips twisted into a smile. "Maybe if it involved, oh, I dunno…being total girly girls for one day and heading down to a certain place where things can be tried on…"

"Shopping," I said. "That's your idea."

She beamed. "Yup! C'mon, Bella, it'll be fun!"

"How is it fun?" I asked. "I mean, I'm not opposed, but…they're just clothes, Alice."

"Not just clothes, silly," she replied. "Think of it this way. On one hand, you can see me half naked and in skimpy outfits and I get to see you in the same. Then, there's the fact that we both know you enjoy trying things on and there's a shit-load of things to look at. And lastly…" She leaned in closer to me. "Ebony needs clothes, Bells. She doesn't have any others, remember?"

"Oh!" I mentally smacked myself. "Yeah, right." I grimaced. "Ebony, h-how would you like to go shopping after this? I'll buy you some new clothes so you have something to change into. I'm so sorry I didn't think of it earlier. I don't know why, I just…"

Alice nudged me. "I didn't tell you that so you could beat yourself up. _I _just realized it, too."

"You aren't her mother," I replied quietly.

Alice scowled. "I'm your mate, Bella. That kind of does make me her mother." Her eyes widened after she finished speaking. "I…I mean…um…so Ebony! Shopping?"

Ebony glanced between us with an odd look in her eyes, but it disappeared when she nodded. "Okay." Her eyes flickered to mine. "And you don't have to buy me clothes. It's okay."

"No," I replied. "It's not. I'm…well, you know. I should buy you something and clothes are a good start. Besides, how long have you been wearing what you've got on now?"

Ebony blushed. "F-four days."

"Oh honey," Alice said. "We really need to fix that."

I smiled as they started to chat, even after their food arrived. I mostly kept to myself while I listened and drank my water. The liquid was surprisingly soothing to me despite the fact that I didn't really need it. Even so, it was enjoyable. Of course, I talked every now and again when one of them asked me a question, but for the most part, I wanted them to talk together.

When the girls finished, I paid for their meals and we left, heading to the best mall around in Seattle. It would be a longer drive, but neither of them seemed to care. Alice was content with rubbing her full belly and Ebony seemed happy, too. I was fine either way.

When we arrived at the mall, it was bustling with humans everywhere. I caught a glimpse of Ebony scowling in the back seat, but she relaxed after a moment and we exited the car. Alice led the 'charge' into the mall, grinning with excitement as she took my hand and Ebony's hand, tugging us along. I was too amused to bother resisting, so I happily allowed her to drag us inside. And thus, our shopping excursion began, starting with the jewelry section.

"C'mon!" she said, leading us. "Forget the rest of the stuff! Shiny things first!"

I laughed. "Seriously, Alice?"

"Yes!" she replied, huffing as she came a stop in front of necklaces, at which point she released our hands. "Ooh…" Her eyes widened with interest as she began to scan the necklaces. "Ebony, look at these" She pointed to some and Ebony moved closer. "Aren't they gorgeous?"

"Yes," Ebony said, her eyes widening as well. I watched as a look of wonderment formed in her eyes as she and Alice began looking at every piece of jewelry behind the display cases. "I've never seen anything like these before…so pretty…"

"Right?" Alice said. "There's a lot more, too!"

"Whoo boy," I said, chuckling. "This is gonna take a while."

Hours passed as we wandered around the mall, going into nearly every section of all three floors. I looked and browsed a bit out of genuine interest, but for the past part, I stayed with the girls while they looked around, smiling at their amusing reactions and watching Ebony light up. I'd never seen her so animated before, and I loved seeing that. She looked…happy.

After several hours, we began wading through clothing. Alice and I picked out various shirts, dresses, pants and other articles, for ourselves and for Ebony, who was also looking around. Once we had a two carts worth of clothing, we went to the changing rooms and found a large enough one for all three of us and all the clothes.

I sat quietly in while Alice sorted through the massive pile of clothes for Ebony. Ebony sat on the opposite end, staring down at her hands. She wasn't as exuberant as she had been when she and Alice had been looking around. I had mentally burned the adorable look of wonder and excitement in her eyes when she'd been looking at the jewelry and the smile that had broken across her face when Alice had given her an emerald green dress to try on. Now, though…

"Ebony, what's the matter?" I asked. "Why do you look so glum?"

Ebony bit her lip. "It's nothing."

"It's not nothing," I said. "You were acting happier than I've ever seen you earlier and now you look upset or bothered by something, and I really want to know what it is. Please? Won't you consider telling me? I'm here for you, Ebony. You can tell me whatever you want. I'm…your mother, after all. I know I wasn't there for you over the past years, but I'm here now."

Ebony grimaced. Alice stopped what she was doing and sat down beside me while Ebony seemed to war with herself on whether or not she wanted to talk.

"That's just it," Ebony whispered eventually. "I'm…not used to having someone to talk about. Father always told me…to keep my thoughts to myself. 'A good woman is seen, but not heard unless she is spoken to' he would always tell me. 'Women speak when spoken to and when they're with other women, but no woman is good enough because you are perfect and superior to them.'" She shook her head. "He never let me ask him questions. He hated when I did.

"I'm so used to that mindset. That I shouldn't speak unless I'm spoken to, that I should look down on and insult the two of you because of your…relationship, that I should hate you, Mom, because you abandoned me and did all these awful things he said you did…"

She paused and I swore I could see the inner struggle flashing across her eyes. "But now…" She looked back at me. "I'm not sure what to believe anymore. You've been nothing but kind to me, your f-family has been kind to me…" She glanced at Alice. "You've been the same, even though I've done nothing to deserve this kindness from any of you. Why?"

"First of all, they're _our_ family," I said. "You may not see them this way yet, but Carlisle and Esme are your grandparents and my siblings are your aunts and uncles. You haven't even met most of them yet, but that doesn't matter. And secondly? Why wouldn't we be kind to you? Ebony, you're my daughter. My flesh and blood. And just as I said, _you're_ part of my family. I love you, and my family loves you, and that's that." Ebony's eyes became watery and she whimpered. I immediately stood up and moved to her side. "And nothing will change it."

Ebony burst into tears as I wrapped my arms around her. Her arms curled around me and she buried her face into my neck as I held her, Alice sweeping in to the other side to hug Ebony from behind. Slowly, Ebony melted into our embraces and I held Alice's gaze for a long moment. She smiled warmly at me and I smiled back before I kissed the top of Ebony's hand.

"Thank you, Mama," she whispered. "Thank you."

"Of course," I replied. "I love you, my daughter."

"I…I love you too," Ebony replied. I think my heart just about burst with joy.

**A/N: Aaand that's two chapters. But wait! There's more!**


	66. The Grief

**Disclaimer: I don't own...you know, you guys know this already. I'm not Meyer. I take no credit for her stuff. Only my creations and ideas.**

**The Grief**

The tender moment we shared in the changing room lasted for a good ten minutes before all of us broke apart and went back to what we'd been doing beforehand. In the end, I purchased thirteen shirts, four dresses, five pairs of jeans, three skirts and two pairs of shoes for Ebony. Alice chipped in to buy her some bracelets and a watch and bought both of us clothing too despite my protests. She ignored me and, once again, used her parents' old credit card.

"I'm surprised they haven't frozen that account yet," I remarked as we got into my car.

Alice smirked. "Oh, they will. But I'm going to rob them for every cent I can before they do."

"You certainly know how to be evil, Alice," I said, snickering.

"And you love me for it!" she replied.

"True," I said. "And for many, many other reasons as well."

Alice beamed at my remark as I drove off to our next destination, the hotel I'd gotten reservations at for the next few days—the very same hotel Alice and I had stayed at before.

We returned to the house three days later to find it practically empty. Rosalie and Emmett had taken Cynthia with them to Alaska, only now, they were going to a new safe house that was built far away from humans. Leah would be there, along with Jasper and Victoria, so at the very least, Cynthia wouldn't be by herself. I wondered how long Rosalie and Emmett would stick around, and when I asked Alice, she said she wasn't sure. They hadn't made their minds up yet.

I was fine with that. They had no reason—as of now—to rush back to the house. If anything, I knew now I wouldn't have to put up with Emmett's inappropriate jokes for a while, was going to be a much needed vacation. Plus, it gave me more time to spend with Alice and Ebony.

What I didn't realize was how much of a vacation it would end up being.

Three-and-a-half months. That's how much time passed from the day we returned following Cynthia's transformation, during which time Rosalie and Emmett decided to stay up in Alaska. Apparently, they found it too good to resist for whatever reasons—Alice informed me when they'd made the decision that it was mostly sexual, which I had rolled my eyes at.

At first, I figured they would return within a week or two. Day after day went by and Alice, Ebony and I spent most of them together, playing video games, watching movies and TV shows, playing board games, card games and more. We went on hikes, we went to the beach when the weather was good alongside Carlisle and Esme, we went out into town to explore the shops and take Ebony out to see the sights. We even went to La Push to go surfing on one occasion.

Two weeks went by like it was nothing. I remembered that Sunday, a day we'd gone to see a movie in theaters, at which point I realized that they hadn't returned. I had asked Alice what was up with that later in the evening while Ebony was sound asleep and we were downstairs together.

Alice had shrugged. "I haven't seen when they plan on coming back. For the foreseeable future, we've got the house mostly to ourselves." She smiled at me. "They're busy having 'fun' and helping out both Leah and Cynthia. If you call it helping."

"How are the girls doing?" I asked.

"Struggling," she replied, grimacing. "Leah's still beating herself up over…what happened. And Cynthia is still adjusting to everything. Your siblings are helping to the best of their ability, I've seen it and I know it in my heart. It looks…difficult, though."

"At first, it is," I replied. "It's like waking up in a new body. Everything is different. You hear more, see more, smell more…and there are the cravings and instincts. There's a reason why we call that state 'newborn'; it's literally like we've been reborn, you know?"

"Do you think that…?" Alice faltered.

"What?" I asked. "You can ask, Alice."

She sighed. "Do you think Cynthia will…slip?"

"I don't know," I admitted after a moment. "I hope not, but it's hard to say, Alice. Sometimes…bad things happen and no matter how much we prepare…"

"They can't be stopped," she finished. "I know."

"I'm sorry," I said.

"It's okay." She pulled me closer to her and we snuggled. "Just thought I'd ask."

"Try not to worry about it," I'd told her. "I know it's hard, Ali…and I know it's not a subject that's easy to put away. But, for now, just enjoy the moment with me, okay?" She smiled and kissed me in response, and that's how we stayed until she grew tired and I helped her to bed.

More and more days trekked by, to the point where I almost lost track of time. But I didn't lose track of everything that was going on. Some days, we would drive out into town or head out to Seattle or Port Angeles, others, we would remain near or inside the house. No matter where we were, however, we were having fun in some way and bonding. And the days when Carlisle and Esme were around were even better, because Ebony was able to bond with them, too.

There were even a few days where Alice and Ebony would go out and I would remain home to hunt and do whatever I felt like. I worried about them like mad the first time, only for Alice to assure me repeatedly that they wouldn't go far and that she would be on high alert. Not only that, but Esme would be out and about to keep an eye on the area they were in, too.

It made me wonder why they wanted me to stay behind. I'd entertained thoughts on why that was or what they could be doing, but in the end I gave up and simply relaxed. I used that time to gather my thoughts and simply reflect on everything that had happened before, what was happening then and what might be happening in the future. Meditation, to some degree.

To me, the thing I noticed most during the three months as they went by was Ebony. She changed from being withdrawn, uncertain and a tad broody to truly opening up. I saw her smiling more, laughing more and genuinely having a good time with Alice and I. She even started to tease us, poking fun of me for my age and for being shorter than she was, among other things, but I knew from her eyes and the way she said them that she was playing.

I imagined that it must have felt good to be free the way Ebony was. She had no Edward to manipulate her or boss her around like a slave. However, I did act like a mother and I made sure to tell Ebony when something she said or did was wrong. I wasn't harsh, though. I refused to lay a finger on her in any way that wasn't loving, and I felt that it really did her good.

Now, three months later, Ebony was almost an entirely different person. As I was sitting outside on a blanket beside Alice, I watched her leap around in the trees above us. She was performing crazy trapeze artist moves and laughing, which was one of the most beautiful sounds I had ever heard. I stroked Alice's head as we watched her. I loved her enthusiasm.

"This is so much fun!" Ebony shouted, performing a backflip from one tree branch to another.

"I can't wait to be able to do that myself," Alice said, sighing.

"You could, you know," I remarked. "Humans do it all the time. And they're crazy, like you."

Alice rolled her eyes. "Kiss my ass."

"You'd have to move if you want me to do that," I said with a giggle before returning my gaze to Ebony, who was standing on top of a tree and looking up at the clouds above. "Careful, Ebony."

"Yes, Mama!" she replied before carefully jumping down, branch by branch, until she was on the ground. She came running over to us, beaming the whole time, then pounced and landed on top of Alice. "C'mon, Alice! Quit being lazy, let's have some fun! You too, Mama. We should play a game or something, like tag or vampire-hide-and-go-seek."

"Get off, demon girl," Alice groaned. "Let me be lazy for a change."

Ebony pouted. "You stink, Alice."

"Yeah, well…whatever," Alice said, giggling as she snuggled further into me. "Me and my body odor will get back to you later. Go karate chop a tree, why don't you? That sounds fun to watch."

Ebony rolled her eyes and looked at me. "How do you put up with her?"

I smiled. "Sometimes I wonder that myself."

"Cuz I'm good in bed," Alice replied. Which, coincidentally, was quite true. That was another thing we'd done a lot of during the past three months. Very, _very_ frequently. "And because I'm loving, sexy, amazing, beautiful and the best girlfriend ever. Oh, and she loves me. So there. I know the sex is high up there, though. Right, Bella?"

Ebony was the one groaning now. "Ew. Topic change, please!"

I laughed. "Okay, okay, new topic. How about…what you two feel like doing today? These past few months have been crazy, but good at the same time. I never thought the others would be gone this long. Then again, I'm not complaining, either. It's been awesome being able to hang out with both of you, don't you guys think?"

"Uh huh," Ebony said.

"Yup," Alice replied.

I grinned. "Anything you two want to do?"

"Eat," Alice said. "I'm hungry."

I rolled my eyes. "Alice, you're always hungry."

"Yeah, because I love food," she giggled, standing up. I stood with her and we began walking.

"Ebony?" I glanced at her, but she was looking away. "You hungry?"

"Uh…n-no, thanks," she replied.

I noticed a change in Ebony's demeanor afterwards, but I decided not to worry about it. I simply told her that if there was anything bothering her, she could talk to me. She didn't say anything and instead said that she wanted to go outside for a bit, which I was fine with. While she went outside, I remained inside with Alice, cooking my human something to eat.

"Your cooking has gotten better, Bella," Alice remarked as she watched me. "But you know I can cook myself, right? Without messing up or griping at that."

I stuck my tongue out at her for the latter remark. "Hey, I have a sensitive nose and your food reeks, okay? It's not my fault." She giggled and I went back to my work. "And I know you can cook for yourself, Ali. I just enjoy doing something special for you, that's all."

"I can't wait till I can fully return the favor," she replied.

I could hear the undertone to her voice and shuddered as I finished making her meal, which was a large breakfast of pancakes, bacon and toast. Alice was drooling when I handed her the plates with her breakfast on it. She thanked me and we went into the dining room together. Alice dug in after praying while I amused myself by staring at the wall until she was done.

"Delicious," Alice said when she'd finished.

I chuckled. "Hey, I'm going to go check on Ebony. I'll be back, okay?"

"Take your time," she replied. "I'm going to go take a shower."

"Well, then I have all the time in the world, don't I?" I asked teasingly.

"Shut up," she said, grabbing her dishes and taking them to the sink.

I laughed and headed outside to where Ebony was. She was simply standing and staring off, at which point I saw what looked like a closed cell phone in one of her hands. Whatever it was, she put it in her pocket as I approached her and she turned to look at me.

"Hey there," I said.

"Hi," she replied.

I wrapped my arm around Ebony and smiled. "How are you doing?"

"Okay," she replied with a small smile.

I kissed her cheek. "You know, I'm really glad you came back into my life and gave me a second chance, Ebony. You have no idea what it means to me that I was able to make amends with you after what happened between us the last time we met. I thought I'd lost you completely to Edward, but…it turns out I was wrong and I'm beyond happy about it." I gave her shoulder a squeeze. "Thank you, Ebony. Thank you for giving me that chance."

The smile on her lips began to grow smaller. "Y-yeah, you're welcome."

"What's wrong?" I asked. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," she said quietly, placing her hand on mine for a second before walking away. I could see, however, that there was something wrong. Her body language and eyes gave that away.

I frowned. "You know you can tell me anything, right, Ebony? Anything at all. I'm here for you in any capacity, as your mother and your friend. You don't have to keep things from me anymore. I'm not like your father. I love you for real and I would never hurt you in any way, shape or form. So please, talk to me if there's something bothering you, okay?"

Ebony's face faltered, and suddenly, I saw only pain, guilt and sorrow in her eyes. She fell to her knees and started to cry, gripping the grass beneath her with her hands so tightly I could see the veins bulging. I stared at her for a moment, surprised, before I sped over to her and knelt down in front of her, trying to pull her into my arms to comfort her. She refused me, however.

"Don't," she said, sobbing.

I frowned. What was wrong? Had I said something? "Ebony, sweetheart, what—"

"Don't!" she shouted. "Don't 'sweetheart' me, don't comfort me, don't…" She whimpered and tore the earth from the ground before putting her face in her hands. "I don't deserve it. I'm a terrible daughter."

"I don't understand," I said. Hearing her sobs broke my heart, and having her react this way only made me feel worse. I didn't understand. Why was she acting this way? "Ebony, talk to me. What's the matter? Did…did I do something wrong? Was it something I said?"

"No," Ebony said, looking at me and shaking her head. Her face was damp from the tears streaking down her cheeks. "No, Mama. It wasn't you. Y-you…you've been so good to me, so amazing…but I don't deserve it. I never did. I should have never come to find you. I shouldn't…" She grimaced and whimpered. "I'm so sorry. I'm so, so…sorry. I thought I didn't have a choice..."

"About what?" I asked. "Ebony, I don't understand what you're talking about."

"What the hell is going on?" Alice asked, running to my side. "What happened?"

"I don't know," I replied. "Ebony, please, talk to us. _Please_."

"It wasn't you," she whispered. "You didn't do anything wrong." She stared into my eyes and I saw pain and anger in them, but it looked like it was direct purely at herself. She stood up, slowly, with tears still in her eyes. "_I_ did." Her voice cracked. "I…I've been lying to you this whole time. From the moment I found you at the hotel…" She swallowed. "I've been telling Father…everything. I fed him information. I told him…all the things I learned."

My mouth fell open on its own. Alice tensed up beside me. "I told him all the details I learned. About your gift, Alice's visions and how they could be fought against, the fact that you have allies in Alaska, that your…c-coven was broken up. But then, I started…" She paused and balled her hands into fists. "I started to think differently. I started…to realize what I was doing was wrong. I tried to stop, but Father…he threatened you. And me. So I didn't.

"And now…he's going to be coming here. He knows you're alone. He knows y-your parents' schedules at work. He knows the others aren't coming back. Or, at least, that's what I told him." She pulled out the object from her pocket. It was a cell phone. "I j-just finished calling him. He's coming here. I tried to tell him not to. I really, truly did. I've been trying to. I wanted to stop. I didn't want to betray you after everything. I'm so sorry!"

I stared blankly at her. I was stunned. Utterly…stunned.

It took me a while to even begin to think of how to react as I absorbed this new information. Edward. On his way here. Likely with reinforcements. Maybe the Thornes. Maybe the newborns Dante had warned us about. Either way. He was coming here. Now.

My mind race as I struggled to form words. My chest felt hollow and my limbs felt a thousand times heavier than they truly were. I was frozen in place, too, sucking in air I didn't really need.

"Ebony, how…why would you do this?" I asked. My heart felt like it had been shattered. I couldn't stop the pain and sadness from seeping into my voice, which sounded empty. Ebony stared back at me with the most heartbroken look in her eyes that I'd ever seen before. My bottom lip trembled. "Was it all a lie? Was…your love…?"

"No," Ebony said, shaking her head. "That wasn't a lie, Mama. I swear…I _swear_ I meant it. I fed him some false information. I stopped calling, too. I hated what I'd done. That's why I can't keep it to myself anymore. I finally saw that he was wrong, that _I_ had been wrong, about you." She rubbed her eyes again. "He started calling about a week ago, though. He wouldn't stop. I turned the phone he gave me off. But when I turned it back on, I saw texts. He belittled me. He made me feel like shit and asked where my priorities were. Then, he started to threaten me. And you and your mate. He told me he would start murdering people, too, if I didn't call him.

"So I called last night. He told me everything, then. That today he was coming. I tried to talk him out of it, I even called again while you were inside, begging...but he didn't answer. It's too late." Her hands balled into fists. "Please, take Alice and get out of here. I'll face him alone."

"No." I swallowed back the venom that pooled into my mouth. My mind was on fire with so many different emotions pulsing around; I couldn't focus enough to unscramble them. But I could still think clearly enough to make one point. "I'm not going anywhere, Ebony."

"Please," Ebony begged. "It's all my fault. I was wrong! I should have never…" She shook her head again. "I deserve to be hurt. I did this. I betrayed you and your family. I broke your heart by deceiving you and I feel like shit for it. And I told him everything." She rubbed her eyes furiously. "I deserve pain for what I've done, Mama. I don't even deserve to call you that. Please, let—"

"I said _no_," I interjected, struggling to calm myself. "I am not running away. And you don't deserve _anything_ of that nature, Ebony."

She gaped at me. "But…I hurt you."

"Yes," I said, unable to stop my voice from cracking. "But only in a small sense. Knowing that he was threatening and manipulating you, and that he was using innocents to further make you do his bidding makes up for it, though, Ebony." She grimaced like she'd been stabbed. "You are still my daughter, and I still love you. I'm just furious with that bastard." Her eyes widened. I meant what I'd said, though. "And…regardless of what you did, the fact that your heart changed and that it was in the right place is all that matters to me. _You_ go, Ebony. I'll face your father."

Ebony continued to stare at me in silence as Alice walked up to her. "This," Alice said, slapping her across the face with her left hand. "Is for not telling us sooner. And this." Her other hand whipped across to slap Ebony. "Is for thinking that we would simply leave and abandon you." She then pulled Ebony closer to her, kissed her cheek, then hugged her. "And this, you dolt, is to show you that you are a part of this family. I love you, too, Ebony."

Ebony was speechless as I walked over to the two of them. "No matter how much it stings to know that you were feeding him, Ebony, it doesn't change anything," I said, stroking her cheek. Alice hadn't hit her too hard, thankfully. Just enough to get her point across. "Alice, when will Edward be here? Can you look and see?"

Alice released Ebony and closed her eyes. "I…" A moment passed as her eyebrows furrowed and she concentrated. "Yes. He's on the move with a number of other vampires. And…" Her eyes snapped open and she gasped. "He'll be here within the next two minutes."

"Two minutes?" I said. "Good. That's enough time. Ebony, take Alice and go."

They both stared at me. "What?!" Alice shouted.

"You heard me," I said. "Ebony! As your mother, I'm begging you, listen to me. Take Alice and get the hell out of here. I want neither of you to have a part in this. Go!"

"Fuck you!" Alice screamed, so loud that I practically toppled over. "I am not abandoning you, Isabella Marie Cullen! You are the love of my life and I don't give a shit that I'm human, I'm staying by your side and fighting this son of a bitch with you, dammit!"

I couldn't even form words before Alice dashed past me into the house. I literally had to close my mouth before I could even begin thinking, at which point I turned back to Ebony.

"Ebony," I said. "Please. I may not be able to make that stubborn fool go, but…"

"I'm not going anywhere," Ebony said, holding my gaze. "Not right now."

"Damn it," I said. "Why can't you both just get out of here?!" I growled to myself and contemplated grabbing and carrying them, but I decided against it. There was no point and I couldn't force them to do something they didn't want to do. Even so. "Damn it…"

Alice ran back to us with a can of hairspray and a lighter in her hands. "I'm ready to fight that son of a bitch," she said, coming to stand by my side. "I also called Carlisle and Esme."

I'd intended to do that once they were clear, but sighed in defeat. "Thanks. How many vamp—"

I stopped myself cold when I caught wind of a number of scents. One was familiar. I snatched Ebony and pushed her behind me as I turned to face the direction the scents were coming from. I growled as my nostrils flared. There were quite a few of them. In total, there were fourteen vampire scents. Sixteen vampires. Those weren't good odds.

"Stay behind me, both of you," I said. "Got it?"

They didn't have the chance to try and argue with me, because within seconds, we were surrounded by vampires. Edward stood at the center, smiling that irritating crooked smile as he slowly stepped towards me until he was several feet away. His dark red eyes appraised me with a mixture of things playing in them, but I ignored that and simply held his stare. His eyes flickered from mine to each side, and I knew he was looking at Alice and Ebony. Then, he spoke.

"Ah, Ebony," he said. "It seems your mother has poisoned you."

"No, Father," Ebony said. "She hasn't. _You_ poisoned me."

He laughed. "I did, did I? Who was there for you when your precious mother was not? Who saved your life countless times? Who raised and nurtured you? Who taught you?" He gave her a pointed look. "How quick you are to forget the hand that fed you, my dear, delusional daughter."

"Who beat me for the littlest of things?" Ebony asked. "Who lied to me? Used me? Manipulated me and treated melike an object _instead_ of a daughter?" Her voice was cracking, but I didn't turn to look at her. If anything, that would have made it worse. "How can you say all those things when you know otherwise? How am I supposed to overlook them?"

Edward sighed. "Oh, dear Ebony. I'll deal with you later. Now, be good and step away from your mother, hmm? I don't want you to get hurt while we tear her to pieces. Of course, the human beside her will be dying, too. My boys here are quite smitten by her, aren't you, boys?" The vampires around him snarled and growled hungrily as I pulled Alice further behind me.

"No," Ebony said. "M-my place…is here."

Edward looked like he was about to speak, but I cut him off. "Shut it, Edward. She doesn't want to be with you anymore, and frankly, I don't bother her. You're a lousy father, anyways." _And a soulless, cowardly bastard_, I added mentally.

I thought back to our previous fight, my screw up aside, and how I'd beaten him nearly to death. I also thought about the lives lost at La Push and how Edward was partially behind it. He and his allies had killed countless innocents, and as I'd sworn to Raina, he would pay. I didn't care if it was today or in the future. I would make him suffer. I would tear him limb from limb. And no matter how smug the bastard was, he knew I could kill him. He was afraid of me.

Edward's crooked smile dissipated. "Shut your mouth, Isabella."

"Make me, bitch," I replied. My calmness actually surprised me.

"You don't give me orders, woman," Edward spat. "Just for that, I'm going to rip your legs off and kill your precious human while you watch! And then—"

He stopped when Carlisle and Esme appeared, racing past the vampires surrounding us to stand beside Ebony and Alice. Neither of them knew of what Ebony had done, but that wasn't important now and I wouldn't care about it later. Neither of them spoke, though I could feel the anger and tension rolling off them in waves. At least now, I wasn't the only full vampire.

"You think that will help?" Edward demanded. "You're alone! Three pitiful vampires, a pathetic human and a disappointing half-breed." He spat the last bit out. "You, Ebony, are a disgrace to me as a daughter and worthless! I should have killed you years ago, girl. You bring me nothing but shame and the fact that I must even _admit_ to having spawned you is an insult!"

I snarled. "Shut up you son of a bitch!"

Ebony chuckled. "Actually, Father, that isn't true. We aren't alone. I may be worthless and I may have hurt my Mama, but I've at least started to make up for it…by calling my Aunt in Alaska and telling her everything that was happening and would happen. That was _yesterday_, too."

Edward arched an eyebrow as I turned to stare at her. "Then…" I didn't finish, because I smelled new scents, then, all of them familiar. A smile broke out onto my face as the vampire surrounding us snarled and began to move to Edward's side. Edward just stared forward, his lips mashed into a straight line. But his eyes gave away his sudden wave of fear.

Rosalie. Emmett. Jasper. Victoria. Leah. Cynthia.

They rushed in to join the rest of us, Rosalie to my left, Victoria to my right. Cynthia and Leah, both of whom still had red eyes, remained close to Jasper. Cynthia shot a brief look at Alice, but I could tell that she wasn't breathing because it would likely make her hungry. Alice moved closer to me, 'weapons' in hand. I looked around at each of their faces, happy to see them.

"Glad you could join us," I said.

"What, and miss killing this asshole?" Rosalie asked. "Not a chance."

"Good to see you again, Tori, Jazz, Leah," I said. "Have fun in Alaska?"

"Somewhat," Leah replied, cracking her knuckles. "Are these the vampires…?"

"No," I replied. "He's only part of it." I pointed at Edward, who looked about ready to turn tail and flee like the gutless coward he was. "He's mine to kill, though."

His lips twitched. "As if you could really kill me, Isabella."

"I nearly did last time," I replied. "There's no distractions this time around, Eddie. No arrogance or getting lost in the moment, no vampires with annoying gifts." I glared him down. "Nothing. Just you and me, one on one. Come on, Ed. Fight like a man, you big pussy. Or do you plan on running away again because you know you would lose against me?"

He growled. "You're full of yourself, Isabella! Do you really think you can survive against this many newborn vampires? I've trained these men, and in case you didn't notice, you're still outnumbered!" He smiled, then, twisted and mocking. "_You_ will be the one dying."

"We can take him!" Emmett showed.

"Damn right," Jasper agreed.

The tension was thick. Edward's newborns snarled and looked like they were prepared to dash towards us, but stopped. Something in the air. More scents. And they…were familiar, too.

I heard several gasps behind me. I gasped as well, in joy.

"It's about damn time," Rosalie said.

Jane and Riley had returned. And Alec was with them.

They appeared within seconds, Alec now sporting golden eyes. Jane was beaming as she skipped merrily up to me, Riley and Alec close behind. Now the numbers were more even. Edward and his vampires looked nervous, which was laughable. They were cowards, just like him.

"Nice to see you all again," Jane said.

"It's been a while," Riley added. "Too long, in fact. We've missed some things, it seems."

"You have impeccable timing," I said. "And thank God you're alive."

"We can catch up later," Jane said before leaping in front of me. "I don't know what's going on, but I know you, asshole, are the vampire she wants dead!" She jabbed a finger at Edward. "So what, you bitches came here for a fight? Well, congratulations! You've got one! I haven't killed a vampire in months and I'm fucking pissed off about it and other things! So guess what? You jackasses are gonna feel pain like you've never felt before! Now die!"

The vampires just stared at her for a moment, then looked around at one another. "Dumbasses!" Edward shouted. "Kill them and kill them now, damn it!"

The vampires snapped to attention and roared before charging, all except Edward, who spun and ran away. Just like I knew he would. And as my family members charged forward, I growled. I wasn't about to let him get away. No. Not like this. Screw that!

"Get him, Bella!" Rosalie shouted. "We'll watch Alice!"

I grinned and dashed after Edward. Hopefully, this would be the last time. But before I could get far, a newborn smashed into me and knocked me backwards. He snarled at me and I snarled at him. He was a big one. But he was in my way and he had to go.

"Move it!" I shouted. He growled at me in response and lunged at me. _Damn it._

**A/N: He hasn't gotten away yet, folks! Till next time! And also, happy New Year to everyone! Let's hope this one's better for us all.**


	67. Coward

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight series, Meyer does. If I did, things would have been different. I own my ideas and characters only.**

**Coward**

I threw the vampire off of me after struggling with him for a moment. His bulk and strength were definitely going to be an issue to deal with, and my desire to go after Edward wasn't helping. The lumbering vampire lunged at me, fury in his dark eyes as he began swinging his massive arms at my head. Behind me, I could hear snarling and growling from both my family members and the newborns attacking them. The entire area was filled with the noises.

It didn't take much effort for me to push them aside, though. I was used to hearing the noises. My main focus was on defeating the irritating vampire blocking my path, or at the very least, getting him out of my way. And that's exactly what I intended to do.

Unfortunately, the newborn was not making it easy for me. My attacks, which were light and fast on reflex, but still had power behind them, clearly hit their marks and I could tell he felt them, but he was far more resilient than I'd expected. I considered that he might have a gift of some kind relating to his endurance, or maybe it was just a heightened skill. Either way, he pushed me back with muscle alone and growled at me. I gritted my teeth. This wouldn't be easy.

However, I wasn't going into this blind. I knew how to deal with physically strong vampires with a high level of endurance; I'd trained a lot with Emmett and Rosalie, both of whom possessed those qualities. I knew how to handle a brute like this: speed and intelligence, mixed in with my skill and power. He might have physical strength, but I had knowledge on my side.

My main priority was to simply take him down. I didn't care about killing him, because every second that passed was another second Edward had in getting away. I couldn't let that cowardly bastard flee, not like this, not when he was so close. No, I would catch him and kill him.

The newborn lunged at me, swinging one arm down at me. I rolled to the side and his fist connected with the ground, creating a small crater as I jumped up and rapidly struck him upside the head. The key to taking down newborn vampires was to wear them down, and rapidly pummeling them was a surefire way to do so. The more times their bodies healed, the more energy they used up, which made it easier for me to take finish him.

I ducked and dodged his attempted strikes as he growled, his anger growing as his moves picked up in speed, attacking when I saw an opening. At first, my attacks didn't seem to do much, but soon enough, my punches were having a better impact. Maybe he didn't have a gift after all.

Again and again, I moved around and attacked the vampire, hitting him with as many strikes as I could while putting my strength behind each blow. He hit back several times, nailing me good with an elbow to the chest and a kick to the face, but I refused to waste my time. I could tell, with each passing moment, that my plan was working. The cracks I left in his skin were healing at a slower rate, something he didn't seem to notice.

I decided that I'd found my shot: I would rip at least one of his arms off. That would guarantee me the chance to get away, because he'd be too preoccupied retrieving his severed limb. I'd wasted enough time with the muscleheaded moron. It was time to go.

I leapt into the air and slammed my left knee into his face, knocking him to the ground. He collapsed and I didn't waste any time as I sank my teeth into his shoulder, biting and pulling with all my strength, ripping a huge chunk of his flesh out. He hollered and swung his other arm, trying in vain to strike me, but I'd counted on it, because I bit down on his forearm and pulled.

I managed to tear his arm off just like I'd wanted, but while he flinched from the pain, he continued with his attack by clotheslining me with the other. It sent me flying backwards, crashing through the dirt and colliding with someone else. I didn't know who until I was able to get to my feet: it was Jane, who looked extremely irritated.

"I can't believe that I come back from my trip to Hell and this is what I come home to!" she said, hissing as a vampire lunged at her. She shot him a death glare and he screamed as he collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain. "What gives? What happened?"

"It's a long story," I replied as I watched my newborn opponent reattach his severed limb. "You've got some explaining to do yourself, you little brat."

"I know, I know," she replied. "Hey, we tried! We had a lot to deal with, okay?"

"Can we save this for later?" I asked, but I didn't give her a chance to reply because I was running towards my opponent before he was able to regain use of his other arm.

Unfortunately, he seemed to see that coming, because his good hand had me by the throat before I could do anything. I grimaced and kicked myself for underestimating his quickness: his size meant nothing, he was still going to be fast. The vampire tried to crush my throat with his strength, but luckily, I was able to jab him in the eye with my thumb. He growled at me.

He then slammed me to the ground, but still stupidly left my hands free, which I used to my advantage by clawing at his eyes with my nails. He yelped within seconds and released me, giving me the opportunity I needed to take him down, which I did after deciding on my course of action: I went low and sank my teeth into the bottom of his right leg and proceeded to rip it off, causing him to scream and topple to the ground.

I kicked him in the face, then turned briefly to check on Alice and Ebony. Alice wasn't even involved in the fighting since the newborns were preoccupied with the rest of my family. However, one did manage to break free and try to go after her. Before I could react, Alice was clicking the lighter open and spraying the hairspray, creating a stream of fire that blasted the vampire directly in the face. He hollered in pain and clutched his face as she grinned.

"Go!" she shouted, shooting me a look. "I'm fine!"

I hesitated for a brief moment to glance at Ebony, who was fighting against a newborn without looking bothered or worried in the least bit. The newborn seemed a bit uncertain, but Ebony was kicking his ass. I sighed, then turned to focus my attention to the direction Edward had run in.

The newborn I'd fought was reattaching his foot when I ran towards him. I simply leapt up and brought my weight down on top of him before kicking up and sprinting in Edward's direction. I breathed in deep, taking in his scent as I moved, noting that the noise was growing quieter and quieter with each passing second. My only hope was that Alice and Ebony would be safe. I trusted my family members to do that, though. I knew they would.

I ran as fast as my legs would carry me, following the coward's scent through the trees. I refused to think that he'd gotten away. No. Not this time. I would catch him. I would beat him within an inch of his miserable life. And then, I would rip him apart, piece by piece, until he was little more than a torso with a head. Of course I would make him suffer even more.

I'd rip every single hair out of his head. Then his teeth. Hell, I might even tear out his eyes and relieve him of his ears. The thoughts that raced through my mind were dark and twisted, fueled by rage and hatred. I knew it wasn't who I was. I knew that I'd never done anything of that nature before. But part of me didn't care. I liked toying with the ideas. I wanted Edward to suffer as much as possible for everything he'd ever done to me and to Ebony.

And for all the innocent humans he'd murdered, too. All the lives he had ruined. Everyone he had ever lied to or manipulated for his own ends. They deserved justice and vengeance, too. Edward needed to die for every life he'd taken or ruined during his miserable existence.

_I hope_, I thought.

His scent was growing stronger with each passing second. I imagined my heartbeat would be shooting up if I had one, pounding like an insane conga drum. I considered using my gift, but decided against it, because I knew I was faster than Edward without it. Besides. I didn't need to waste my energy. No, I would wait to use it until I needed it.

Seconds flew by. The scent grew stronger. There! I could see Edward, running with his tail between his legs. He snarled at my thoughts and turned to peer over his shoulder, glaring at me as I kicked my legs into maximum overdrive.

"Stop running, you coward!" I shouted.

He snarled again. "It's not cowardice, Isabella! It's intelligence!"

_Yeah, right_, I thought, sneering at him. _It's called being a little bitch._

He stopped suddenly and spun around to glare at me. "Watch your mouth, Isabella!" he spat.

I came to a stop several feet away from him. "That was my mind, dumbass."

"It doesn't matter!" he shouted. He looked like a three year old throwing a tantrum over something trivial, which it was. "Shut up!" His lips twitched as he calmed himself and that smug grin reappeared soon after. "You know, it doesn't matter. You can't beat me in combat. You got lucky the last time, but I know your tricks now. I also know about your 'gift,' Isabella. You won't kill me. You're too weak and pitiful. As if a _woman_ could match my skill."

I laughed. "Funny, Edward, considering the fact that a _woman_ beat you within an inch of your miserable life and that you enjoy running away from a _woman_. Come to think of it…you're going through all this trouble for the sake of killing a lone, defenseless, weak, lesser-than-you woman, and yet, you've _failed_ at every turn. I'm still alive. What's that say about _you_?"

"Silence!" he screamed, throwing his hands around like an angry toddler. How mature. He roared and lunged at me, and for a split second, I marveled at how strange it was to see the tables turned with Edward rushing in blinded by anger while I was mostly calm. I snapped out of that thought, however, and allowed my anger to pulse through me as I lunged as well.

We collided forcefully, creating a shockwave that knocked us both backwards. We each landed on our feet and Edward lunged again. I briskly stepped to the side and brought my fist up, slamming it into his throat. He gagged and I swung my other arm, striking him across the face and knocking him to the ground. I crouched seconds later as Edward got to his feet, growling.

He lunged again, but this time, was more controlled with his movements. He threw a speedy punch and I blocked it, only to bring up the opposite leg just as I did. I released his fist and parried his leg, however, and jumped back when he tried to snap at me with his teeth.

Hissing, Edward began throwing out punches and kicks like lightning. I blocked, parried and ducked as many as I could, but his movement was unorthodox and random, not to mention each blow had his power and anger behind it. Eventually, he landed a quick, yet brutal barrage of strikes on me and I was quickly downed. Fortunately, I knew he would pounce on me directly after, so I rolled out of the way and kicked dirt into his face.

"Gah!" he shouted, spitting dirt out of his mouth and rubbing his eyes.

I tackled him while he was distracted and went for his throat, but he blocked me with his forearm. I bit into his flesh instead and tried to rip it off, only for Edward to scream and repeatedly hammer at me with his other limbs until I was forced to let go. He tried to grab me, but I kicked him between the legs instead. The sound he made was even more high-pitched and fairly amusing. I took a moment to chuckle as Edward glared viciously at me.

"Shut…up!" he bellowed.

He leapt to his feet while holding his lower regions with one hand and tried to attack me, but I moved to his backside and swatted him with the back of my hand. He crashed into a tree and I was quick to move in and continue my attack. Edward, however, reacted before I had the chance and was on his feet already, growling.

"What was that about being able to defeat me easily?" I asked. "Or are you not trying?"

He merely snarled in response as he dashed towards me, thrusting one fist at my face. We began brawling, then, as we moved about the area we were in, bashing into trees, rocks and the ground. Fists were everywhere, striking cheeks, shoulders and chests. Edward tried to snap at me again with his teeth, but I always stopped him, usually by hitting him somewhere else. It was an even match, though, regardless of how many hits we were taking.

Suddenly, Edward's demeanor changed. As we brawled, the look in his eyes went from black with fury and hate to something else, to the point where I was able to use it to my advantage and overwhelm him with my speed. I pummeled him viciously for several seconds before kicking Edward backwards, rupturing another tree in the process. Edward staggered to his feet seconds later, filled with cracks and looking weakened. Perfect.

But then, I saw Edward's face. He was smiling smugly about something. I didn't understand why as I leapt in to attack him again. He caught my right fist when I thrust it at him, and even though I spun around to kick him upside the head with my left leg—catching him off guard and knocking him to the ground again the process—it didn't seem to overly faze him.

"What the hell are you smiling about?" I asked. I was sore all over myself and I could feel my body patching itself up quickly as I stared him down.

His lips twitched as a smug grin broke out again. "You know, Isabella, you aren't very bright."

"I'm aware of that," I replied, lunging for him. I shot my right fist forward, then halted it and shot my left out instead, nailing Edward across the face. "But I don't care!"

He laughed as he staggered backwards, touching the cracks on his cheek. "Oh? Well, that explains quite a bit, my dear, foolish Isabella. And it proves to me that you are unfit to be a mother or a 'mate,' if you want to call that irritating _child_ a mate at all. You aren't deserving of that luxury, not with how quickly you abandoned her."

"I didn't abandon her," I said, crouching down, ready to attack again. Edward, however, backpedaled a safe distance away from me. Pussy. "She's got protection all around her. Eleven vampires and Ebony, not to mention that she's smarter than you give her credit for. Oh, wait. Let me guess…you don't think a mere human could ever stand up to a vampire, do you? Especially a _female_ human. Is that it? If that's what you think you have another thing coming, Edward."

He laughed again. "Is that so? Your precious coven members can really fight and protect her at the same time against newborns? And the two newborns you have as allies are able to resist the urge to kill her when their instincts are flaring up? I must be mistaken, then."

I growled, but kept my temper down. "Yes, you are."

"And what if I told you there was one more vampire?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow. "What if I said that I turned a human I found useful and persuaded him to see things my way? What if…you knew this human? And what if…" He sneered as I grimaced at his words, my mind racing. "He had a certain obsession with that human you foolishly believe you love?"

I blinked. My chest tightened. He couldn't mean…but his eyes flashed. He did. James.

"Yes, yes I do," he said. "Mr. Witherdale had caught my attention some time ago, you see, and I got to thinking…I could use him to my advantage. So, I took the liberty of turning him not long ago and training him personally while feeding him the ideas that the human belonged to him. And it worked! The girl won't see him coming, either. I made sure of that."

I snarled at him, part of me raging and wanting to lunge for his throat, but I stopped myself. "You…" I was seething. Everything was twitching. "Damn you."

"So, tell me, Isabella," he said, strutting forward a few paces. "What's more important to you, hmm? Foolishly wasting your time trying to kill me when we both know you'll fail? Or going after young Mr. Witherdale, knowing he likely has the girl in his clutches? Or perhaps he's failed? Who's to say? One can never take the nature of our kind for granted, after all. They may have dispatched my newborns and seen him. Or…perhaps they didn't.

"You know how newborns are, Isabella. Strong, durable, driven by instinct more than thought. I imagine your coven members wouldn't be able to kill them easily. No, they would be too absorbed with fighting off the numbers, wouldn't they? I wonder…" He grinned. "Can you really afford to take the chance? Well? What's your choice, Isabella?"

He stared back at me, silently taunting me with the choice. I cursed in the back of my head repeatedly; did I go back or did I stay to fight? Suddenly, I felt something, something deep within me, that I couldn't explain. And it was pulling me back, away from Edward.

It felt as though something was wrapping around me and desperately trying to yank me in the direction I'd come from, and I knew immediately that Edward wasn't lying. James, the idiotic human, was now a vampire and for all I knew, he had Alice in his clutches. My decision had been made. I snarled once more at Edward before spinning around and running like my life depended on it, tapping into my gift to give me an extra boost in speed.

I was back at the house within seconds rather than minutes, nearly colliding with a pile of burning body parts. I stopped, kicking up a large amount of dirt, and whipped my head around, trying to locate Alice. She was nowhere to be seen. And neither was Ebony.

"Alice!" I shouted, rushing past my family members into the house. She wasn't there. Her scent was mostly outside, at which point I caught a whiff of a scent I'd forgotten about: James. "No!"

"Bella," Rosalie said. She had several tears in her clothing and was holding onto her right arm. I could see the place where it had been torn off. "I'm…so sorry. I saw him and…I tried to get to him, but I was attacked from behind before I had the chance. Cynthia and I tried to chase after him." She grimaced. "It was too late, then. He was already gone."

I gritted my teeth. "How…how the hell could no one have…?"

"You know how strong newborns are," Jasper said quietly. "Even with our skills, they had strength in their corner and numbers. Sorry, Bella."

"And what about Ebony?" I asked.

"She slipped away once the newborns were dead," Emmett said, frowning. "No clue why."

I shook my head. "She'll be fine, I'm sure. I'm going after James."

"We're all going," Esme said. "Alice is part of our family, after all."

"We'll split up," Carlisle said. "Have the rest of you fed recently?"

There were a chorus of 'yes's' from everyone, including Jane, Alec and Riley. Part of me yearned to talk with them, but I had to save it for later. I turned around just as Carlisle began to speak and sniffed the area. I caught wind of Alice's heavenly chocolate scent mixed in with James' heightened scent, but before I could take off and follow, I felt a hand on my shoulder.

It was Cynthia. "I'm coming with you," she said, staring back at me with her red eyes. The coloration had lightened a bit, but she still had the look of a vampire that fed on humans. However, I ignored that fact and instead focused on the pain, anger and fear in her eyes. "I know I can't be near Alice for too long, but she's my sister. I have to protect her, Bella."

"I know," I said. "We'll get her back, Cynthia, I promise. He won't have gotten far."

"Let's get going, then," Rosalie said.

I didn't respond; I simply took off after James as fast as I could move. I could hear and smell the others behind me, but I didn't think of them. Focus on Alice. Find Alice. Then, I would find Ebony. But Ebony could take care of herself better than Alice could against a newborn. Alice was strong and intelligent, but even she couldn't face a newborn. _Especially_ if that newborn had an unhealthy obsession with her. There was no telling what James would do.

How did Edward turn James without Alice seeing it, though? That's what I couldn't figure out. I knew she'd been paying close attention to Edward, and yet, he'd managed to create all these vampires without her seeing, James included? Then again, I remembered that Ebony had told him about her ability. It was likely that he'd found a way to get around it without her seeing.

That made sense. But turning James Witherdale? What was Edward's goal with that? If he wanted to kill her, James wasn't a good choice. He wanted Alice as his. How the hell did that play into Edward's ultimate goal? I didn't understand. Then again, I didn't care. That wasn't important. James wasn't important. And right now, Edward wasn't important.

The only thing that mattered was getting to Alice as fast as humanly possible. I felt the odd sensation in chest flare up at that moment and growled. She was in danger and I knew it.

_I have to stop him_, I thought.

My body blurred past trees and across roads without care. James' scent was still strong. He hadn't been gone long. I would catch him soon. That was good. At least, I hoped I would catch the bastard soon. Or did he know we would be coming after him? Were there more vampires just waiting for the chance to attack? I considered that as I moved, then pushed it aside.

_Doesn't matter_, I thought as I broke from the trees and saw that James' scent went into town, where it broke up and seemed to split into multiple directions. "Crap." I heard movement behind me and my family members came a stop. "Looks like we're splitting up regardless."

"That's for the best," Carlisle said. "We'll cover more ground that way. However…"

"It might be best that Cynthia and Leah stay behind," Esme said.

"What?!" Cynthia said. "No! Hell no! Alice is my sister, I can't—"

"Cynthia, you can't be around humans," Jasper said quickly.

"You've already had a couple…accidents," Victoria said. I turned just in time to see Cynthia flinch from pain and guilt. "Not that we haven't been there, but we have to avoid them, so it's better if you two stay here. I'm sorry, but…your control isn't good enough yet."

Cynthia hung her head while Leah placed her hand on her shoulder. "It'll be okay, Cynth," she whispered. "They'll save Alice, don't worry."

I sighed. "You can come with me, Cynthia. Jasper and Victoria, you can come too to make sure that Cynthia is able to resist any humans we run into. She's her sister and it would be wrong if we excluded her, and having more vampires helping is for the better." Carlisle and Esme looked like they were about to protest, but I went on. "Please. Give her this. And it's not like Jasper and Victoria can't help if things go awry. I'll make certain, too."

"Bella, I appreciate it, but…I would just get in the way," Cynthia murmured.

"It's your choice," I said. "You're the one who has the power to fight your instincts, Cynthia. That goes for you too, Leah. You both made the choice to become vampires and you hold the choice in your hands to fight the urge to kill humans. It's in there. It may not be easy, but it's possible." I turned around. "I'm going. We need to hurry."

"Rosalie, Emmett, Jane, Riley, you four take the left side of Forks," Esme said. "Alec, you can come with Carlisle and I to the right. Jasper, Victoria, you two go with Bella down the middle."

I didn't stay to listen, I simply began running. It was my fault. I knew that. I would have to make it up to Alice for not being there when she needed me. I saved the self-blaming, however. Now wasn't the time for it. Now was the time for searching.

As I moved, I felt the pull once again; the sensation in my chest that I knew was tied to Alice. At first, as I entered town and kept my senses on alert for humans while moving in the shadows, I didn't pay any attention to it, because I knew it was telling me she was in danger, but that wasn't helping. After a moment, however, I realized that tug was doing something more: it was pulling me in a different direction then the one I was going in. Which only meant…

_Is it…leading me to her?_ I wondered for a brief moment. I recalled what I'd heard about mate connections from Carlisle and Esme before, and how they grew stronger as time passed. Was that what this was and why it had taken so long to kick in? Did Alice being human have something to do with it? _Gah, stop thinking about it!_ I shouted in my head. _Focus!_

I focused on following the feeling inside me. It was like following an invisible rope without knowing where it was going, but I had no other choice. The feeling grew stronger until it peaked at a location that made my mouth fall open: Alice and Cynthia's old house.

_Found you_, I thought.

**A/N: The end is near, folks. But again, this isn't the only chapter you're getting. ;)**

**I do, however, have a question for anyone. I REALLY need help with something in my novel. The setting for the book is Juneau, Alaska. I've never been there before, but with help, I've done some research, so I'd like to think I have that part down without any problem. The problem I am having is with the high school. Juneau Douglas High has what they call an 'enrichment' period and an 'advisory' period. I have no clue what those two things are. So... do any of you know? Did your high schools have those kinds of periods? Or if you live(d) in Juneau, would you happen to know?**

**I really need to know so I can have it in my novel properly, so any help would be highly appreciated in that matter. Thank you.**


	68. Seeing Red

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight series stuff. I own my characters and ideas only.**

**Seeing Red**

Before I moved, I sniffed the air, trying to see if there were any other vampires nearby, lying in wait to spring a trap. There were none. Instead, I could only smell James' scent, mixed in with Alice's, a few scents I knew well enough to ignore—trees, grass, dirt, the building, and so forth—and a few scents that, while they felt familiar, there was something…off.

I pushed forward regardless, though, because I had to get to Alice. I speedily moved to the door, which was open just a crack, and pushed it in. I figured that, if James was here, either one of two things had happened to the Brandons. One, they weren't home. Or two, they were…dead.

The moment I stepped inside, the latter was obvious. Alice and Cynthia's parents were laying on the floor several away, their lifeless eyes gazing up at the ceiling. I paused for a moment to reflect on their deaths. They had hated me and I had hated them, but even bastards like them didn't deserve to die this way. Thrown in jail? Yes. Murdered by a crazed vampire? No. I hated admitting it, but it was the truth. It was something we all had to come to terms with.

"LET GO OF ME!"

Alice's voice broke me from my thoughts and I immediately followed her scent upstairs, moving as quickly and quietly as I could, all the way up to their attic. There, at the far end, was Alice and James. James had her pinned to the ground with one hand as he stared down at her with a disgustingly loving look on his face. I also noticed the 'shrine' he'd built of Alice had migrated here, too. There were pictures of her everywhere. Only now, it felt even more disturbing.

"Bella!" Alice shouted, squirming under James' grip, valiant even though it was useless. At least, for the few seconds James had her in his clutches, because soon, she would be with me and he would be on the opposite end of the room, or dead. Whichever.

James' head snapped to attention and he stared at me with his piercing red eyes. The disturbing look on his face shifted to a surprisingly polite smile as he stared back at me.

"Hello, Bella," he said, greeting me as though we were the best of friends.

"James," I said, taking a brisk step forward. He didn't react. "I don't know what Edward put into your head, but whatever it is, it's a twisted lie. You're probably going to just ignore me because you have some deranged idea that Alice belongs to you stuck in your head and you're probably riding the high of being an all powerful vampire, but even so. I feel obligated to warn you now, James: I won't hesitate to kill you anymore. _Unless_ you let Alice go right this minute."

He chuckled and, of course, didn't release her. "You know, he said that you would likely come after me if I succeeded in capturing my Alice. I didn't doubt him, but it's still kind of funny to see how desperate you are. Tell me…do you see the madness in your eyes right now?"

"In_ my_ eyes?" I asked. "Have you looked at yourself?"

"Why yes, actually, I have," he replied. His tone was so formal and polite that it unnerved me. "It shocked me, really, when I saw my new face. The eyes…they were the most surprising. I thought I'd been done up in makeup or something, but then, he told me all about what I had become. He introduced himself and explained everything. And it all made sense afterwards.

"Who would have thought, right? Vampires? I thought he was lying at first, but the way he spoke and the look in his eyes…" He chuckled again. "I quickly saw that _I_ had been wrong."

His voice held something in it aside from the formality. Something that worried me, because it sounded like he was referring to more than his transformation. But that wasn't all that was bothering me. He was so…_calm_. In all my life, I had never seen a newborn act this way. Every vampire I'd ever come across as a newborn, including Leah, had been anything but calm.

Having to adjust to the heightened senses, the unfamiliar instincts, the desires, it made the first few months of being a newborn difficult. I had been there. I'd watched Rosalie, Emmett, Jane and Riley go through that as well. How the hell was James able to resist trying to kill me? He saw me as a threat to Alice even though it was the other way around, which gave him an even bigger excuse to fight me. Yet he wasn't lifting a finger. It made no sense.

"Let her go, James," I said, pushing all that aside. It wouldn't distract me anymore.

"Why should I?" James asked. "What makes you think she belongs to you?"

"She doesn't _belong_ to anybody," I said.

"No, I don't!" Alice shouted. "Get off of me, dammit! I told you before that I don't have feelings for you at all, James! I love Bella! Now get the fuck off of me!"

"Oh, Alice, that's not very nice of you to say," James said. "I saved your life, remember?"

I took another step forward, then a third. James didn't react to my movement at all aside from casting his gaze at me for a spare second before looking down at Alice. Alice growled at him and thrashed about, which caused the smile on James' face to finally drop into a frown.

"You don't?" he asked, sounding hurt. "But, Ali, babe, I was—"

"First of all, don't call me 'Ali'!" she snapped, and to both mine and James' surprise, Alice managed to push him off of her. She leapt to her feet and I was by her side instantly, wrapping one arm around her protectively and glaring at James, who stepped backwards. "Secondly, you didn't 'save' me at all, you bastard! You kidnapped me when I was vulnerable!"

"Kidnapped?" James' face fell. "Why would I kidnap you, Alice?" He chuckled and shook his head. "No, no, you misunderstand. I was _rescuing_ you. I don't blame you for not realizing it, though. I suppose I could have gone about it a different way, but you have to understand; there were so many vampires there! I had to act quickly or you would have been killed!"

"No," Alice said. "I _wouldn't_ have. Did you not see me _torch_ one of those bastards?!"

"You got lucky," James said. His tone was almost…parent-like. And the way he looked at her made me want to tear his face off in disgust and anger at the same time. "But you're still human, Ali. You're weak, feeble and slow. There's no way you would have survived. Not to mention…hello, Alice? You were surrounded by other vampires!"

"They're my family, you idiot!" Alice shouted. "And stop calling me 'Ali,' damn it!"

"But Alice, you always let me call you that," James said, reaching out to her.

I snarled and his hand shot back. "Back off, Witherdale! She doesn't want to be with you or deal with you, got it? So why don't you just leave us alone before you get hurt."

"Yes, please," Alice said, turning around. "Let's go, Bella."

"Wait!" James shouted, appearing in front of us. His eyes darkened slightly and I reflexively pulled Alice back to me. "Why are you doing this, Alice? What did I do wrong? I thought…"

"Thought what?!" Alice snapped, again stepping in front of me. "What, James? Tell me!"

"Why can't you see it?" James demanded, throwing his hands in the air. I inched closer to Alice until I was nearly standing in front of her. "Why can't you see that we're meant for each other, Alice? We've always been meant for one another! Our families saw it! I saw it! The man who turned me saw it, too! He boosted my confidence and helped me realize that I doubted myself! Why can't you be the same? Why must you make it so difficult?!"

"James, our families were _forcing_ us to try and be together!" Alice replied. "You're the only one who genuinely felt that way! I never loved you like that! Hell, I never really felt that kind of love for you at all! You _were _my friend, but then you became so…_obsessed_ with me."

His lips twitched. "Obsessed? How can you call it obsession? It was love! It_ is_ love!"

"No, James," Alice said. "It isn't. You were manipulated by your parents and by mine, and now, you've been manipulated by a heartless, murdering bastard. The old James would have been smart enough to figure that out. The fact that you haven't tells me…that the old James is gone."

He growled, then, finally showing the vampire side I'd expected to see. "You're damn right that pathetic weakling is gone. He was useless! Weak! Vulnerable!" He jabbed a finger at me. "He was a coward who let a bitch like _you_ take the one thing that ever mattered to him in his life!"

"That's not true, James," Alice said. "You had a life outside of me, remember?" She stepped forward so that she was standing by my side. "Do you remember your dream, James? I do. Before everything fell apart between us, you used to talk about how much you wanted to get into theater and acting. You would quote Shakespeare all the time and we would always spend time talking about books and movies we loved. That is the James I knew and liked."

James faltered. Something flashed in his eyes before his anger returned. "That James is _dead_. He was dead when you broke his heart!" He snarled and his body tensed. I crouched down and growled at him, giving him a warning look. I wouldn't hesitate to attack and kill him if he tried moving at Alice. "This James, however." He gestured to himself. "Is new and improved."

"How is kidnapping me and murdering people 'new and improved'?" Alice asked.

"You mean your parents?" James replied. "You hated them."

"That's not the point," Alice said. "You killed them in cold blood, James. You admitted that to me when you showed me their bodies. They were awful people, but they didn't deserve that."

"And why not?" he asked. "Besides! You should be thanking me, Alice. I killed them for you!"

"I didn't ask you to!" she snapped. "Stop this, damn it!"

He growled. "Stop what, Alice? Stop loving you? I can't do that. You know I can't. And I'm not going to stop trying to get you to see that we belong together. Your eyes are closed. You've been pretending to be with _this_ bitch for too long now." He jabbed a finger at me. "Is it because of her? Are you afraid to admit the truth because she'll hurt you?" He smiled again. "Don't worry, Alice, baby. I'm here now. I won't let this disgusting whore hurt you."

"James," Alice said. "I am going to spell this out for you because apparently, your brain is so tiny that it can't process things without being told a thousand fucking times. So I will say this slowly and use small words to convey it. Got it? I. Do. Not. Love. You. I. Never." She paused for a moment as James stared at her. "I love Bella. I'm not afraid of her. She's not manipulating or threatening me, James. She never has and she never will. Understand?

"If you don't, then maybe you'll understand this: right now, _you_ are the threat to me. _You_ are trying to manipulate and goad me into something I have said multiple times that I do _not _want. I don't have feelings for you anymore. I want _nothing_ to do with you. Edward lied to you. Your parents and my parents lied to you. Now, you're lying to yourself. I, however, am _not_ lying. Look into my eyes. Read my lips. N-O. I am Bella's mate and she is mine. End of story."

James stared at her silently as his face slowly fell. "But…but…I planned a life for us and everything. I…we were going to get married and then start moving around without having to care about anybody else anymore! We could hurt people who tried to hurt us and slaughter anyone we wanted to without caring! We would be _Gods_ together, Alice!" He was screaming now as anger began to build in his eyes. "Why can't you see that? Why? What did I do wrong?"

"If you can't see it, James, you never will," Alice replied.

He snarled and punched the nearest wall, creating a giant opening, then the floor. "Damn it. Damn it! DAMN IT!" He snarled and thrashed his arms about. "What am I supposed to do with my life?! What purpose do I have?! Tell me! _What?!_"

"I don't know, James," Alice replied. "That's for you to find out. But I want you to leave Washington and never come back. Don't try and find me. Don't come near me. Leave my new family and me alone. We want nothing to do with you and we never want to see you again."

"You're letting him go?" I asked quietly.

"Yes, so long as he agrees," Alice replied, glancing at me before looking back to James. "I'm doing this out of the kindness of my heart and the memory I have of who you used to be. But don't think that I'm an idiot, James. You can't lie to me, because I'll know."

James muttered something under his breath. "He said…he said this would work. He assured me."

"He lied," Alice said. "Now please step aside so we can leave, James."

"No," James said, gritting his teeth. "No, no, no! It's not supposed to be like this!" He snarled and glared at me. "You did this to her! I know you did! You brainwashed her!"

_More like Edward brainwashed you, _I thought. _Not that there was much of a brain in his head to begin with_. I sighed. "No, James. I didn't. She's doing this of her own free will."

"Liar," he hissed. "Liar!"

"Stop this, James!" Alice shouted.

"_**SHUT UP!"**_ His hand whipped out and nearly struck Alice, but I grabbed his wrist and slammed my other hand into his face before he could. It sent him flying backwards and I immediately checked on Alice to make certain that she was unharmed. She was.

"Let's get out of here," I said, trying to lead her downstairs, only for James to shoot up and lunge at us. Alice, however, pulled me aside before he could, much to my surprise.

James spun around to face us both. "You bitch! _**Heartless BITCH!**_ Both of you!"

"Alice," I said. "You need to get out of here."

"_**This is YOUR fault, Cullen!"**_ James roared, the fury practically seeping out of his body as he stalked towards us. _**"You did this! You ruined what we had! You ruined her! It's your fault! I'll kill you for this and then take her! She's mine! Mine, damn you!"**_

"Alice, get out of here!" I shouted, pushing her behind me just in time to block James as he leapt at me. "She warned you, Witherdale! Bad move on your part."

I snarled and grabbed James by the throat before flinging him backwards, right through the back wall of the attic, sending him outside. I blurred to the opening and glanced around to see if any humans were nearby. There were none. That was a good thing. I leapt down seconds later and landed as James go to his feet, snarling like a wild beast, crazed from anger.

_Nice to see James acting like a newborn for once_, I thought as I crouched down.

Of course, having him collide into me with full newborn strength made me reassess my own thoughts as I flew backwards, crashing into a tree. The tree toppled as I shot to my feet, thankful that the Brandons were far enough from other homes to prevent other humans from catching on and getting involved by accident. However, I had to prevent James from landing more blows like that on me. Too much destruction would catch attention. Humans would hear it, for sure.

James charged at me and I spun to the side, avoiding his angry attempt at plowing into me. Instead, I moved in behind him and sank my teeth into his shoulder, letting my venom pour into his body rather than try and rip skin. He howled in pain from my effort and swung his arm around to try and hit me, but I ducked under it and backpedalled. James snarled and grabbed his shoulder, flinching from the burn of the venom. That would slow him down.

_Only a little_, I thought as he charged again. The process repeated several times, and my venom was clearly having an effect. Two, in fact: hurting James and pissing him off.

He became more wild and reckless, and I started to recalculate the best way to fight him. The previous newborn I'd thought had been easy. Big and strong, but obvious attack pattern focusing on using his size and strength to attack. Speed had been the key in that fight, and even then, I hadn't been focusing much and using a hundred percent. With James, I wasn't able to assess as easily. He was strong, fast, durable and wild. The wild part made this somewhat difficult.

James swung crazed punches that I easily dodged, and I landed some of my own, breaking his nose, jaw and probably a few ribs due to the snapping noises I heard. They did little to deter him, but each strike would add up and eventually wear him down, just as I'd done to the newborn vampire I fought when I had been chasing after Edward.

But while James wasn't as durable as that vampire had been, he was angrier and his rage was making him even more unpredictable. Even with my know-how, James proved to surprise me, and soon we were brawling, James viciously trying to kill me while I defended myself and attacked him when I had the chance. We were tangled in a rage-filled dance, because I grew angrier with each passing second as the instinct to kill took over.

Eventually, it became a flat out pummel session.

James continuously pummeled at me, and while his blows hurt, I blocked a good number of them, holding his feral gaze as he roared and thrashed about. I waited until I saw my opportunity to strike back, at which point I punched him in the nose, breaking it and sending him backwards. James growled and went to fix his broken nose, exactly what I'd wanted him to do, but before I could continue my attack, something else crashed into him instead.

It only took me a moment to see that it was Cynthia. Her red eyes flashed with fury as she snarled, grabbed James by the throat to lift him, then slammed him down into the ground. One, two, three, four…I stopped counting at the number of times she slammed him down.

"_**You son of a bitch!"**_ she screamed, throwing him into the air, then bringing her fist up into his chest. He flew up, then crashed down and Cynthia was on top of him, biting into him. His scream pierced the air as Cynthia tore off a chunk of his flesh and spat it aside. "You think you can kidnap and threaten my sister? Huh?! You're dead, motherfucker! _**Dead!**_"

Cynthia proceeded to repeatedly tear into James, who screamed and thrashed to no avail, ripping off piece after piece, including both of his arms. I simply stared in astonishment at the viciousness I was seeing Cynthia display, because it was something I never thought I would see.

James managed to get to his feet and fight her off even without arms, but it wasn't good enough to stop Cynthia. She sank her teeth into his throat, then continued ripping him apart with her teeth and hands until James was little more than a—barely there—head and torso. He was screaming blubbering in agony, but Cynthia didn't care. She ripped his head off.

As his head dropped to the ground and rolled, Cynthia tilted her head up and roared. It was a guttural, terrifying sound that made even me shudder, even though it only lasted for several seconds before she stopped and hung her head. A solid minute or two passed until Cynthia finally moved, turning to face me with pitch black eyes that were slowly beginning to regain their red coloration. She looked...gleeful and upset at the same time.

"Damn," I said. "Just…damn."

She wiped the dried blood from her mouth left over from James' body. "That felt…amazing."

"I'll bet," I replied. "You okay?"

She stared down at James' severed body and shrugged. "I guess so."

"I don't think I've ever seen you rip someone into pieces before," I said. "And now that I have, I don't think I ever want to. That was _brutal_, Cynthia. I never thought you had it in you."

She shrugged again. "He deserved it. He took Alice and he threatened her. I lost it."

"I don't blame you," I said.

"Do you have a lighter?" she asked.

"I don't," I replied.

"I do." I turned to see Jasper and Victoria, along with Alice, standing behind me. Alice immediately came to my side while Jasper walked up to Cynthia, lighter in hand. It wasn't long before James' body parts were blazing, smoke billowing into the air from the remains. The scent made my nose burn, but I said nothing about it. For a moment, no one moved or spoke.

I turned to Alice. "Are you okay, Ali?"

"Yeah," she replied, taking my hand. "Thanks for saving me."

"I wouldn't call it 'save,' Alice," I said, chuckling. "You kind of did that yourself."

Alice smiled. "Cynthia? Are you okay?"

Cynthia turned to face us and grimaced. "Somewhat. Did he hurt you, Ali?"

"Nah," Alice replied, waving it off. "I'm good."

Cynthia smiled, though it was strained. "That's good."

"How's it feel to be a vampire?" Alice asked.

"Interesting," Cynthia replied. "I'll…have to tell you later." She grimaced. "Right now…"

"We'll take you hunting," Victoria said, brushing past me. "It stinks here anyways."

"We'll see you back at the house, Bella, Alice," Jasper said, nodding to each of us.

"Alright," I replied. "Be careful and be safe."

Victoria scoffed. "Always am, Belly-Button."

The three of them disappeared in a blur and I turned back to Alice. "May I carry you?"

"I suppose so," Alice replied. "Victoria's right, though." Her nose wrinkled. "It _does _stink."

I laughed and scooped her into my arms. "Funny how that works, isn't it?"

I pulled Alice close to my body before running at full speed in the shadows, keeping my senses peeled for any humans, of which there were quite a few. James' body would burn to ashes within a few minutes, but I knew the authorities would be there soon and discover the dead bodies of the Brandons. That was why being scarce was a good thing.

When we returned to the house, most of the others were already back. Only Rosalie and Emmett—Victoria, Jasper and Cynthia were still out hunting—were gone. I set Alice down when I was in the door and she walked into the family room. I followed after her and saw everyone sitting down, talking among themselves. Leah was the furthest away, sitting in the corner by an open window. The moment Alice entered the room, her eyes opened and stared back at her.

"Leah?" I asked in a low voice.

She shifted slightly. "I'm fine. I hunted a couple minutes ago. It's just the smell…"

"I know, I smell awesome," Alice said as she plopped down on an open spot on the couch. "Does it bother you too much, Leah? I can leave the room if that will help."

"No," Leah. "I think…I think I'm okay." She tilted her head to the window and breathed in. "Having the window open helps." She glanced up, then looked to Carlisle and Esme. "Could we possibly turn the fan on? I think it might help me even more."

"Of course, dear," Esme replied, speeding over to turn the fan on. "I'm sorry. We should have thought of that beforehand." She sighed. "We're losing our touch, Carlisle."

"It would seem that way," he agreed.

"You're not supposed to agree with me, you oaf!" she said, rolling her eyes. "The nerve."

Carlisle shrugged with a faint smile as Cynthia, Jasper and Victoria walked inside to join us, followed shortly after by Rosalie and Emmett. Cynthia went to sit beside Leah while Emmett and Jasper brought in four chairs from the kitchen for them to sit in. Once they were done, the whole family was now in place, including three new members. The only person missing was…Ebony.

"Ebony!" I shouted, leaping up. "Crap! Where did she go?"

The room fell silent. "I didn't see," Rosalie replied, frowning. "I honestly don't know."

"She was fighting with us up until that guy grabbed Alice," Emmett replied. "I think."

I sat back down and bit my lip. "Ali, do you see anything?"

Alice closed her eyes and pursed her lips. A minute passed before she sighed. "No. I can see that Ebony is alive, but…not much else. I don't know why she left or where she went. It's all vague. All I know is that she's alive." She looked up at me, blue eyes shimmering. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," I whispered. "I'll have to try and find her as soon as possible…"

"Before you do that," Jane said. "Can someone please explain to us what the hell we missed?"

Rosalie scoffed. "Given the fact that we thought you dumbasses were dead, why don't you share first?" She growled immediately after. "You know, speaking of all that, do you have any idea what we've gone through since you left? And not once did you bother to send a letter or call or anything of that nature. We had to rely on Alice's visions, and we can't put everything on her."

"Honestly!" Esme agreed.

Jane and Riley bowed their heads. "Sorry," Riley said. "It…got complicated for a while."

"Complicated?" Victoria asked. "We had to deal with two newborns and an attack on the werewolves. What the hell is your crappy excuse, huh?"

"Hey, we _tried_ to reach you," Jane said. "It just didn't work."

"It's my fault," Alec said. "I'm sorry."

"We're all sorry," Riley said. "We should have been better at keeping in touch."

I bit my lip and glanced in the direction of the door, wondering if Ebony would return. On the one hand, Alice said she was alive, which was a relief to me, but I was worried about her. Alice didn't see what she was planning on doing or what would happen to her, and as her mother, it was my duty to find and protect her. On the other, curiosity was nagging at me, wanting to find out where my siblings had been for so long and what happened to them.

I decided to make my decision to stay and listen to them, then turned to Alice. "Ali?"

Alice's eyes went blank for a moment before she turned to me. "I don't see any negative repercussions. Ebony is alive and will be alive when they finish talking. I promise."

"Thank you," I replied.

"Who is Ebony?" Jane asked.

"My daughter," I replied, turning my attention to her, Riley and Alec. All three looked stunned, although Jane and Riley had more of a reason to be surprised and showed it, too. "A lot happened, like you said. You missed quite a few important things."

"Perhaps…we could share both stories," Riley said, offering me an apologetic smile.

"Fine," I replied, looking around the room. "We'll give you a rundown of what you missed, then you can tell us what the hell you three were up to. And after that, unless there's anything else of note that needs to be addressed, I'd like to go and search for Ebony."

"Of course," Carlisle said. "Any objections?"

No one voiced any, so I sighed. "Alright, I'll start from the beginning."

For the next fifteen minutes, I told them what happened. Or rather, we did, because Alice, Leah and Cynthia joined in to give their opinions on what occurred during the time the three of them had been gone. The attack on La Push, Leah and Cynthia being turned, Edward's appearance, the death of the vampire named Dante and the knowledge that Victoria's sister was still alive, the Thorne coven getting away, everything of importance.

After that, Victoria and Jasper chimed in to explain why they had stayed in Alaska for so long—to help the Denali coven deal with a coven of strangers that came there seeking land, which had ended in a battle that the Denalis won. And of course, Cynthia and Leah's training sessions, which had been long and arduous for the two girls. They were getting there, though.

When they finished, Rosalie threw in a remark on why she and Emmett had been gone: sex. Most of us rolled our eyes at the comment while they smiled sheepishly. Esme gave them an earful for it, though, which was definitely amusing. Then, however, the floor went to Jane and Riley. Alec looked like he felt awkward, but said nothing as Jane cleared her throat.

"Our trip to Italy was…interesting, to say the least," Jane said. "And by interesting, I mean it was insane on one level and crazy on another, and I would very much like to avoid going back there any time soon. The Italians were nice, sure. But the Volturi? Fuck them. Seriously."

"What happened?" Jasper asked.

"A lot," Riley replied. "They actually held us prisoner for a while."

My mouth fell open as Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper and Victoria spoke in unison. "What?!"

**A/N: That's a'two chapters. Not done still!**


	69. Splaining To Do

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight stuff, Meyer does. I own my stuff. I need a new disclaimer. **

'**Splaining To Do**

"Wait, wait, wait," Rosalie said. "Back the hell up. You were held prisoner?"

"Yes," Jane replied, rolling her eyes. "It was _so_ much fun. True hospitality."

"I don't understand," Carlisle said. There was a mix of anger, disbelief and horror on his face as he leaned forward. "We've never been the closest of friends, but Aro, Sulpicia, the others…they were always decent to us and they viewed Esme and I as their equals when we lived there. Certainly, they weren't fond of our diet, but even then…" He shook his head. "Why would they do this? Why wouldn't they communicate to us in some way?"

"Because the Volturi are far viler than you can possibly imagine," Alec said. "You haven't seen them the way that I have. You don't know the things they've done, the things they did behind your backs when you were there. I wasn't around during that time, no, but I've heard the stories. Aro has a fondness for bragging about them, in fact. Frequently."

Esme growled. "Like what?"

"They would kill two humans for every human you turned away and saved, for instance," Alec replied. "I heard guards talking about how often you would help humans they brought to you, and that you would stand by to ensure that they left Volterra thinking it was all a nightmare of some kind. Then they would order the guards to bring back more humans and they would slaughter them, all while laughing about it, because you were none the wiser."

"Why didn't you mention this before?" I asked. "I never would have suggested my idiot plan had I known that, Alec. They could have killed or indoctrinated you or something!"

"My apologies," Alec replied. "But I believed in three things: first, that their fears would get the best of them and prevent them from acting in haste. Second, that Marcus and Didyme, the only two who are genuinely kind and pleasant, would stand up for our side. And third, that they would be wary enough of our abilities to take us seriously if they attempted anything."

"And none of those worked," I said.

"Actually," Jane said. "They kind of did. It just took a while."

"So what happened?" Alice asked.

"When we first came to Volterra, we were greeted and whatnot as 'honored guests,'" Riley said, shaking his head. "It was a bit bizarre for the guard to be friendly to us, in my opinion, but then, we'd never really had a prolonged run-in with the Volturi before. Alec, however, was uncomfortable and I figured that he knew there was something up, so I was on my guard."

"The Volturi are not often 'friendly' to outsiders," Alec said. "Unless they are there to join the guard or if they've been summoned there for some special occasion, that is. Otherwise, we're told to ignore other vampires and treat them as though they may attack at any given moment. We must be mindful and wary of them until we are told or shown otherwise."

"Why does that not surprise me?" Rosalie asked.

"Suffice to say," Riley continued. "When we met the Kings and Queens, they were all smiles and welcomed us, saying that they missed the two of you, Carlisle, Esme. They asked us all sorts of questions about how our lives were going and all that, but the more time went on, the more I started to feel that for at least Aro and Sulpicia, it was an act. Caius and Athenodora didn't seem to be into it, either, but we've always known them to be that way. It wasn't a surprise."

"Why's that?" Cynthia asked.

"They're not very friendly," Alec replied. "They never have been." He paused. "I'm sorry, but…who might you be again? I recall Alice, but I'm afraid I don't remember your name? Or your friend beside you, for that matter. Are you new to the coven?"

"I'm Cynthia, Alice's sister," Cynthia replied.

"Leah," Leah said. "And yeah, I suppose you could say we are new to the coven."

"Family, dear, not coven," Esme said with a warm smile, which Leah returned, before both glanced back at Alec, Jane and Riley. "Please, do go on."

"So yeah, we could tell they were being fake, but we didn't say anything," Jane said. "After all the pleasantries and crap were exchanged, they got to what they wanted to know: were we, Riley and I, defecting to their coven. That's not how they phrased it, but I know it's what they meant."

"True enough," Alec agreed.

"We explained that no, we weren't, because our loyalties and ties were to this family," Riley said, frowning. "I don't know why they would ask in the first place. We've made it clear before."

"They wanted Jane on their side," Jasper said. "With the ability to cause multiple people to experience an agonizing pain, it would be perfect for a battle, because she could immobilize a large number of vampires if she concentrated hard enough."

"And given what we've learned about your gift, the two would work together well," Victoria added. "Think about it…Jane causes someone massive pain, then you wipe the pain away, only for Jane to pain them again. It's a perfect for of torture and don't give me that look, damn it." All eyes, including Jasper's, had fallen on her. She scowled. "I'm just saying. Sheesh."

"What about Riley?" Emmett asked.

"They would have kept Riley around to make Jane happy," Alec replied. "Little more."

"Gee," Riley said. "I feel so…special."

"Well, you're not," Jane said, playfully nudging him. "I, however, am. Which…is kind of a bummer now that I think about it. What would they have done to Riley, Alec? I mean, if I, and I never will, but let's say I did, joined, how long would Riley be around for?"

"For as long as necessary until they figured out a way to do away with him," Alec replied. "Aro and Sulpicia want powerful, gifted vampires in their forces. Numbers don't mean as much because they can have a thousand vampires, yet still lose to a hundred vampires if those vampires have useful gifts. Caius and Athenodora support this system. They want power and strength to strike fear into the hearts of all others to prevent uprising."

"That's not very wise," Jasper mused. "Not wise at all."

"True, but let's get to that after," Riley said, shaking his head. "I don't want to think of dying right now, if it's alright." He paused to squeeze Jane's hand. "Eventually, we got around to the whole purpose of us going there in the first place: trying to get Alec out of the Volturi. Jane wanted to outright demand it, but I managed to convince her to be more…tactful."

"What?" Jane said. "Would it have mattered? They would have reacted the same damn way, but I say that being demanding and showing confidence would have been better. Hell, I could have used my gift on them to make them accept it, then we could have walked out of there like it was nobody's business! But _no_, we _had _to be nice and polite. Bullshit!"

I shook my head. "That would have backfired, Jane. You do remember that, right now, your gift grows weaker if you use it on multiple people, right?"

"Not only that, but the guards would have swarmed you, dumbass," Rosalie said. "It's a good thing Riley used his brain. You'd have been fucked, otherwise. And not the good kind."

"Ew," Alice said. Rosalie rolled her eyes.

"What occurred after this?" Carlisle asked, bringing the subject back on track.

"At first, they thought we were joking," Jane said, scoffing. "Then they realized we were being dead serious, so they started trying to manipulate Alec into changing his mind. They used threats, guilt tripping, empty promises…the whole nine yards. Only Marcus and Didyme seemed to be open to the idea and actually tried to persuade the others. It didn't work. Not then, anyways."

"Aro and Sulpicia became angrier with each rebuke," Alec said. "Ultimately, they had us surrounded and taken to the prison below, claiming that we were being taken there for our protection while they decided. That was a lie, of course. I knew it. Jane and Riley knew it."

"They threw us in some stinking cell and posted a bunch of annoying guards in front of it," Jane said, growling. "As if we were prisoners who committed some atrocious crime or something."

"In Aro and Sulpicia's eyes, we did," Alec said.

"You mean to tell me that they kept you in a cell for all this time?" Victoria asked.

"A _stinking_ cell," Jane said, scowling. "And yes!"

"Why didn't you guys try to escape?" Emmett asked. "I would've busted my way out and beaten the crap out of the dumbasses that got in my way."

"Right, because that always works," Riley said, rolling his eyes.

"We did try, actually," Jane said. "It didn't work."

"Did they hurt you?" Esme asked. "So help me God, if they did…"

"No," Riley replied. "They tried to starve us, then tried to get us to feed on humans, but we refused, Alec included. It wasn't until Marcus had the guards bring us some deer that we actually fed, which was at least a week later. After that, they begin bringing us animal blood on a regular basis. That's how Alec here got onto the diet, although he wasn't fond of it at first."

"No, but I'm used to it now," Alec said, his gold eyes shining. "And I'm happy I changed my diet. I hated hurting innocent people, and now I know there's an alternative."

"How did you guys end up getting out?" Victoria asked.

"Marcus and Didyme let us out," Jane replied. "Apparently, they'd been arguing with the others ever since they threw us in there that we be released and they finally—"

"Wait, hold on," I interjected. "What about the Thorne coven information?"

"What about it?" Jane asked.

"Didn't you use it?" I said. "You know, the whole plan in the first place?"

"We did, yes," Riley replied. "You see, at first, we didn't get the chance to try and use it because we wanted to try the diplomatic approach, which failed. They imprisoned us before we could attempt to use it afterwards, and then refused to see us despite our constant requests. Finally, after several months, Marcus and Didyme came down to see us themselves and we explained everything to them. They took it to the others and that is how we were ultimately freed."

"If you wish to call it 'free,'" Alec said.

"What do you mean?" Alice asked. "Didn't they let you go?"

"Not yet," Jane said, scoffing. "They demanded we give them time to 'think it over' and blah blah blah. We pretty much got sick of waiting and threatened them using the information we had, as well as our gifts and our families and friends. So they shut up and let us go."

"That was a month ago," Riley said. "The reason it took us so long to return was partly due to dealing with some Volturi guard sent after us and partly because Alec wished to have some time to adjust to the vegetarian lifestyle, which we were fine with."

"I'm sorry," Alec said, bowing his head. "Had I known of the circumstances surrounding what was going on, I would have forgone my desire and we would have returned sooner."

"It's alright, Alec," I said. "What's done is done. What's most important is that you're all alive and the Volturi didn't snag you. But…you said they sent guards after you?"

"A few," Jane said, smirking. "We didn't kill them, though. We just kicked their asses."

"I preferred simply knocking them out or avoiding them," Riley said. "Jane wanted to fight."

"I like fighting," Jane replied with a shrug.

Carlisle cleared his throat. "Not to interrupt, but did anything else happen during this time?"

"Nah," Jane replied. "We just got held up for, like, forever and it was annoying."

Esme sighed. "That's a relief."

After they had finished explaining everything, Carlisle and Esme asked the three to join them in their study so they could ask more private questions. The rest of us remained where we were, with Emmett, Jasper, Victoria and Rosalie turning on the Xbox 360 to play. Apparently, all four of them had missed playing video games while they were away in Alaska.

I decided it was a good time to head out and try to find Ebony, but before I left, I walked over to Cynthia and Leah, who were sitting closer together than I remembered them being earlier.

"How are you two doing?" I asked. Now that things were calmer, I could ask.

"I've been better," Leah replied. "Cynthia mentioned that you found out about…"

"Yeah," I said. "I'm sorry."

"So am I," Leah murmured. "I still think about them, as if it were yesterday." She trembled and Cynthia took her hand. "I'm doing the best I can to make up for it. I saved a few humans, in fact, even though I wanted their blood like crazy. This is all so…new to me. You weren't kidding when you said it was difficult, Bella. I've almost lost hope on a few occasions."

"I'm glad you didn't," Cynthia said.

"Agreed," I said. The others chimed in as well despite being absorbed with their game. "It will haunt you for a long time, both of you. But in the end, it will make you stronger and a better person, not to mention a better vampire. Take it from someone who's been there and seen it." They both nodded and I noticed neither stopped holding hands. That made me smile.

"Are we allowed to stay here?" Cynthia asked. "Or do we have to go back to Alaska?"

"Do you not like it there?" I asked.

"No, Tanya and her family are very friendly," Cynthia said. "I do feel bad for the crap we caused them and for being such a pain in the ass, even if I wasn't in control of myself sometimes…"

"I think what Cynthia means is that she would prefer to stay near her sister," Leah said.

"Basically," Cynthia replied. I frowned and looked over my shoulder at my siblings, who were frowning themselves, then to Alice, who had yet to move from her position. Cynthia quickly spoke up. "L-look, I know I'm still a newborn and…there's…thirst there, but I can't stand not being around to keep an eye on her. Please? May I…may _we_, stay?"

"That's not really up to us to decide," Rosalie said. "If anything, Carlisle and Esme should be asked first. Then again, knowing them, they'll say it's Alice's decision."

"Alice?" I asked.

"I'm fine with it," she replied, smiling. "As long as it isn't too difficult and…you know…"

"Nothing will happen," I said. "We'll make sure of it, right guys?"

"Of course," Jasper said, and the others nodded. "We'll help you in any way we can, girls. You have our vow on it. You're part of our family and we do know what you're going through, so the least we can do is be there for you in any capacity possible."

"Thanks," Leah and Cynthia said in unison, followed by them both giggling.

I smiled and turned around. "Alright guys, I'm going to head out for a while."

"Alone?" Rosalie asked.

"Well, you're all busy, so…" I shrugged and began heading towards the doorway.

"Wait." I turned to see Leah stand. "I'll go with you. That way, you aren't alone."

"Me too," Cynthia said, smiling. "Three's better than two, after all."

I smiled. "Sure thing. Thanks, ladies."

The three of us headed out shortly after and I immediately began sniffing the air for Ebony's scent, which led away from the house and the battle. I dashed in the direction of her scent, wondering where she'd gone and why she had left. Was it shame? Anger? Fear? Had she left before James appeared or did she leave during the ordeal? I had no idea. I wished I did.

"I didn't know you had a daughter," Leah said as we ran.

I didn't look back at her as I responded. Too busy. "The others never mentioned?"

"I think they might have in passing, but…" She hesitated. "Sorry. Bad topic, isn't it?"

"It's fine," I replied. "I've gotten over it, honestly. The aversion to it, I mean."

"I didn't know vampires could have children," Cynthia said. They were both moving close behind me and I reminded myself that they were newborns, and thus, they were going to be as quick as I was, if not faster. If anything, they were holding back.

"It's weird," I said. "I had her when I was human and…that bastard was a vampire. How it worked that way, I don't know and to this day, no one does. All I know is that I had her and things separated us until recently. You know that, Cynthia."

"I do," she said.

"And you never told me?" Leah asked. "Why not?"

"It wasn't for me to tell," Cynthia replied. "That's private to Bella."

"I know, but…I mean, a half-human, half-vampire?" Leah said. "That's pretty cool."

Cynthia chuckled. "Well, yeah, but it would have been rude for me to talk about her."

I respectively tuned their conversation out and focused solely on following Ebony's scent. It was an odd scent, but pleasant to me. I'd noticed it before, in fact, just never at this sort of level. Her scent was…half sweet and aromatic and half some indescribable flavor that I couldn't put my finger on. Whatever it was, it blended in well with the other part of the scent.

We tracked it for a good long while, moving past trees and over rocks, deep into the woods leading away from our home. I knew that, given the amount of time that had passed, it would be a while before the scent would grow stronger. And yet, as time passed, the scent remained weak and that disheartened me. And then, to make matters worse, we came to a stop in front of a river. Ebony's scent disappeared into the river and I couldn't smell it on the other side.

"Damn," I said, growling.

"What do we do now?" Cynthia asked.

"We keep searching to see if her scent picks up anywhere else," I said. "Leah, why don't you and Cynthia follow the river down that way? I'll follow it upstream and see."

"Roger," Leah said. Cynthia giggled, then grew serious as they headed the opposite way.

I followed upstream, sniffing and looking everywhere for some sort of sign. A footprint, maybe, or something that looked out of place, like if Ebony had kicked a rock aside or brought mud with her when she exited the river. I followed it for what felt like forever, but without any luck.

Nothing. Hours passed and I couldn't find a trace of Ebony anywhere after she'd entered the river, which meant that either something had happened to her or she didn't want to be followed. I stopped and stared out into the forest for a moment, silently debating on whether or not I should call it quits for the night. Part of me wanted to keep going. I wanted to find her and bring her home. I didn't like her being out there, away from me and my family.

"Bella?" I turned to Leah and Cynthia standing behind me, which I hadn't heard at all, nor had I smelled them coming. Leah had spoken and both girls had concerned expressions on their faces as they looked back at me. "We didn't find any trace of her scent downstream. I'm sorry, but…it looks like she's long gone. Maybe we should go back."

I grimaced. "I'm not sure that I want to. You two can, if you want. I won't make you stay out here with me if I decide to continue trying to search for her."

"Maybe she doesn't want to be found," Leah offered. "I've never met her, so I can't speak for her, but…I mean, she left at that time for a reason, right? And since she's your daughter, I'm sure she'll come back when the time is right."

"If she wants to," I said. "That's the thing, though. She might think I don't want her around anymore or something even though I said otherwise. I have no idea what's on her mind."

"If she wants to be found, then she'll let you find her," Cynthia said. "I agree with Leah. We should get back. Alice will start to worry if we stay gone for too long, and I don't want her to get worried. Besides, if you continue by yourself, you could get ambushed or something."

I chuckled. "Doubtful. Edward's long gone and if the Thornes had any interest in attacking us, they would have by now. I think, for the time being, we're in the clear."

"Even so," Cynthia said. "Please? Don't go by yourself. We don't want you to."

"We'd feel better if you went with us," Leah said. "We'll help you search tomorrow, promise."

"Alright," I said, sighing. "Fine, let's go."

The three of us turned around and headed back to the house, although part of me yearned to keep going. There wasn't much I could do, though. Call her name? I doubted that would work since she was probably long gone. Her scent had faded. I had to accept the fact that, for the time being, Ebony was gone. I only hoped that she would return and, until then, that she'd be okay.

Alice was waiting for me when we returned. She smiled at Cynthia and Leah, who smiled back as they brushed past her. She then threw her arms around me and we hugged for a moment.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Not really," I murmured.

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

I sighed. "Sure."

"Let's go to your room," she said. "It's more private there."

I heard my siblings 'ooh' and at least one whistle, but we ignored them and headed upstairs hand-in-hand to my room. Once the door was shut, Alice plopped on top of my bed and smiled, motioning me to come and join her with a single finger. I beside her in a second, gazing into her beautiful eyes for a moment before our lips touched.

"I miss her," I said after we broke away. "Things were going so well…I mean, I honestly thought that she was being a hundred percent true with me about everything. Don't get me wrong, I'm not mad about her telling Edward everything. I don't care about it anymore. Yeah, it surprised me and I was a little hurt, but that was during the moment. Now, I couldn't care less I just want her to come back and be part of the family. It would be perfect, then."

"I know," Alice said. "I think, deep down, she knows it too. But right now, my guess is that she's torn up over betraying you regardless, and that's why she left. If anything, she just needs time to realize that she's angry at herself over nothing and that she's meant to be here, with us."

"I hope so," I said.

"It'll be okay, Bella," Alice said, kissing my cheek. "I'll keep an eye out for her, I promise."

"It's not that, Alice," I said. "Although I do appreciate it, thank you, I'm just…I don't know why she left and I wish I did. It just bugs me, you know?"

"I do," she replied. "But there's not much you can do for her right now, at this very moment. You don't know where she is, but I know that she's okay, so it's fine. She'll come back." She wrapped her arms around me and kissed me. "I do, however, know what would be really good for the both of us at this moment, my sexy Belly-Button."

I giggled. "Are you using my nickname, or referring to your own body part?"

"Both," she replied, wiggling her eyebrows.

"And what, exactly, do you want me to do to your sexy bellybutton?" I asked.

"Lick it," she replied with a sultry smile. "After you've stripped down and let me do the same to you first, that is. And I don't just mean your bellybutton. I mean every single inch of you." She bit my ear and I moaned when I felt her warm tongue dart out. "What do you say, my Bella?"

I stared into her desire-filled eyes. "I say that sounds like an excellent idea."

Clothes were being removed within seconds of my declaration and our lips were together, dancing passionately as our hands explored one another's bodies. I lost track of time as Alice and I made love to one another. Even after we stopped, everything felt like a blur. I knew I was cuddling with Alice, our naked bodies still pressed together, and that it was light outside now.

"Mmm," Alice said. "That…was fucking awesome."

"No pun intended?" I said, snickering. She giggled too.

"Pun fully intended, actually," Alice said, giving me a lazy smile.

"You should get some rest," I said, pressing my lips to hers. "I need to hunt."

"Do I have to?" she asked, pouting cutely.

"It would be a good idea, I think," I said. "Enjoy your sleep while you can, Ali."

She yawned. "Okay. I love you, Bella."

"I love you too," I replied, kissing her once more. "Sleep well."

I departed from my room to allow her some peace as I exited the house and made my way out into the woods again to find some deer to hunt. I took my time in hunting, reveling in allowing a chance to let my animalistic instincts take over for a change. I killed two deer, chasing each one around for at least fifteen minutes each, playing with them in a way I rarely did.

I enjoyed the feeling of invincibility for a change, for the perks of being a predator. And then, when all was said and done, I stood by the corpse of the second deer, smiling proudly at my successful kills. Their blood had relieved the burn that had formed in my throat, and now, I felt utterly relaxed, so I took a leisurely, human-paced stroll through the woods for a while, enjoying the scenery and the sense of peace that I felt. There were no enemies around, for once.

No Edward. No wolves. No James. No Thornes. No newborns. Just me and Mother Nature.

I sighed after strolling for a while. "Ebony, I hope you come home soon," I said to myself, staring out into the forest. I couldn't help but chuckle at the fact that I was talking to myself, so I decided it was best that I head back and amuse myself for a while until Alice was awake.

_What can I do?_ I wondered as I headed back.

I started tossing ideas around until I got to the front yard, when suddenly, the door flew open and Alice dashed out, flailing her arms around rapidly.

"Bella!" she screamed. "It's Ebony!"

"What?" I immediately placed my hands on her shoulders, panic cutting through me. "Alice?"

"It's Edward!" she said. Her voice was high, her heart was thundering. She sounded hysterical. "I…I saw them! I saw her try and fight him! But he was too strong! He's going to kill her!"

Multiple emotions flared up inside of me at once. Anger. Shock. Pain. Terror. Hate.

The thought of Ebony fighting Edward was what surprised me, but the rest was for Edward. He was going to kill her. His child. His flesh and blood. Even if the other half of her came from me, he truly meant to end her life. Why? What had been the point of it all in the first place if that was how he felt? To get to me? To break me? Is that what he'd wanted?

It didn't matter now, however. I had to get there. I had to stop him. For good.

"Where?" I asked through my teeth.

"The abandoned building in town where the apartment complex used to be," she said. I wanted to embrace her and tell her it would be okay, but right now, I couldn't waste the time. I had to go.

"I'm going to stop him," I said, releasing Alice. "Stay here, okay? I'll come back after."

Alice's bottom lip quivered. "But Bella—"

"Do you really think we're going to let you go alone?" I turned to see Rosalie and the others standing around in a half-circle, eyeing me. "We're going with you."

"No," I said. "Not this time. This time, it's personal." It amazed me that I was able to keep myself composed. Inside, I was screaming with fury and roaring at the thought of murdering Edward for daring to try and hurt my daughter. "Please. Let me go in there alone unless Alice sees other vampires showing up. I want Edward to myself."

"You sure?" Emmett asked. "Even if Alice sees them, we may not be able to—"

Victoria elbowed him. "Don't let your pride get the best of you, Bella."

"Or your anger," Jasper said. "I can feel every emotion you're feeling, remember?"

"I know," I said, chomping down roughly on my bottom lip. "I can do this."

Rosalie stepped forward and met my gaze. "Are you certain you're ready for this?"

I held it. "Yes."

She sighed. "Go. But mark my words, Isabella. If anything happens to you, I will not rest or stop until I've hunted that bastard down and torn him apart, piece by fucking piece."

My lips twitched. "Not if I do the tearing first, Rose."

And without another word, I moved past them, vaguely hearing Esme and Carlisle call out my name as I did. I didn't turn around or stop. I kept moving. I turned my gift on and sped through the forest at a speed most vampires couldn't even dream of achieving, focusing solely on finding the location where Edward and Ebony would be. I would stop him. I would kill him.

_No mistakes_, I told myself. _He dies._ I let out a guttural roar that echoed through the area, the rage and hatred seeping out of me and giving me an added boost of speed. That would be the last sound he ever heard. Edward's dirge. I was going to see to that.

**A/N: One more chapter for you!**


	70. Dirge

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. I own my characters and ideas only.**

**Dirge**

I ignored everything else around me as I barreled past trees into town. I used my speed to leap onto the top of the closest building and ran across rooftops as I sniffed the air, following Edward and Ebony's scents wherever they took me.

It felt like time was moving at a snail's pace while I followed them, but I didn't think of anything other than finding them. Finally, after what felt like hours but probably wasn't, their scents grew stronger until I came across an abandoned warehouse on the edge of town, away from prying eyes. I spotted two dead bodies drained of blood close to the entrance.

_I'll make sure you're both given funerals after this, I promise_, I thought, brushing past the bodies and entering the warehouse. It was large and barren save for the sound of a single, weak heartbeat, and as I pushed myself through it, I came to a wide open area where I saw Ebony and Edward.

Ebony was on the ground, bleeding and panting. Edward stood over her with the same crooked grin on his face that he always had, even when he turned his attention to me.

"So nice of you to come and visit me, Isabella," Edward said, smiling. "I do apologize that our run-ins tend to be so brief. I suppose we can just chock it up to poor timing and your inadequacies." His smile grew as I glared him down. "Oh, you're wondering why our daughter is lying on the ground like this? It's quite simple, really: she needed to be taught a lesson."

He sighed and shook his head at Ebony as she whimpered. "You know, it's sad. For the past…how long has it been? Eighty years, give or take a decade? I don't even remember anymore. How sad. Really, though, it's not that important. Ah well. I digress."

He looked at me and smiled again. "Our daughter is very disappointing, Isabella. I've tried. For the past however long it's been, I've done all the things a good father should for a child whose mother has abandoned her to play make believe. I took her under my wing, taught her my ways, even showed her the care and support she needed when she deserved it.

"She was so easily amused and so easily taught, I thought for the longest time that she would grow into someone I would appreciate and be proud of. But then she started to wander down the wrong paths and I couldn't have that. She might have ended up like you. I did what I could to prevent that change. It took time, but in the end, it seemed to work. She saw that I was right and she was wrong, and like any good woman, she obeyed me."

"Alas, it seems you've somehow managed to poison her again, and this time, my persuasion wasn't enough to convince her. It's for the best, though. I'm bored of her. She's not worthy to be my child and I regret ever taking her with me. Had I known it would turn out this way, I would have crushed her head when she was born, then killed you, too, my dear Isabella. For you, just like her, disappoint me, and I am tired of you as well. Let's end this, shall we? Come here and die."

I ignored him entirely and blurred past him to where Ebony was. She looked up at me with pained eyes while I scanned her body for how badly she was hurt. Thankfully, it was mostly scrapes and bruises. The bleeding came from her forehead and a little from her mouth, the sight of which only added to the fury building inside of me. And yet, I was calm.

"I'm…sorry," Ebony said.

"I'm here now," I said. "I'll get you out of here, Ebony, I promise. Can you move?"

A throat cleared behind me and I felt Edward standing there. "Excuse me, Isabella, but I—"

I whipped around and backhanded him without a word, sending him crashing into several empty bins. I spun right back around to look at Ebony and placed my hand on her shoulder.

"How hurt are you?" I asked. I wanted to make certain before I asked anything more.

"I'm okay," she said. "Sore, but…I can move, yes."

"If you can, get out of here," I said. "If not, stay put, alright? I'm going to take care of this, then get you to the nearest hospital for medical treatment. I love you, Ebony."

She whimpered. "I love you too, Mama."

I turned back to Edward's direction as he got to his feet. He dusted himself off and I could see the mild amusement in his eyes. I walked toward him and thought of everything he'd put me through from the beginning. The pain, the lies, constantly making a fool out of me…the list went on and on. Each new thing only made me angrier, and yet still, I stayed calm.

Edward chuckled. "You won't be calm for long, my Isabella. We both know your anger is one of your many flaws, along with your lack of intelligence and brashness. How many times have you attempted to kill me only to fail utterly? I swear, if people were watching, they would insult you for your incompetence. I wouldn't blame them, either. It's quite sad, really."

I stared at him, waiting for his words to make me snap. Nothing. Instead, I felt a different emotion well up inside of me as I looked at Edward, really looked at him.

"You're right," I said. "I've made a lot of mistakes. I've done a lot of stupid things in my life and hell, if this was a story, I'd be laughing at myself and wondering when I would grow a brain. I could make excuses and say all sorts of things about why I've done what I've done, but in the end, I can blame no one but myself. And you know what? I'm okay with that. It's helped me."

"Oh?" Edward said, arching an eyebrow. "Has it really?"

"Yes," I said. "Because despite all the rage I have for you, despite how badly I hate you and want to rip you into pieces without a second's hesitation, I find myself being strangely calm. And I think the reason why…is that I finally understand you, Edward."

He frowned, as if he hadn't expected to hear that. "Understand me, Isabella? Oh no. You don't understand me. As a man, I am smarter than you, Isabella. You have no ability to comprehend me in the slightest. You only know your anger and hatred because women are emotional creatures. You don't think with your brains. That is one reason you are so inferior."

Amazingly, I smiled. "The more I hear you, the more I'm becoming convinced that I've figured you out, Edward. I'm ashamed it took me this long. You really are a funny man."

His frown deepened. "I don't have to listen to this. I think I'll kill you and be done with it."

He lunged at me, but I sidestepped him and, rather than strike him, I kept my hands at my side. He snarled and started trying to attack me again, yet I blocked each strike and simply kneed him in the gut before kicking him backwards. Edward skidded to a halt and growled.

"What's this?" he asked. "Are you giving up, Isabella? Do you see that you—"

"I'm not giving up," I interjected. "I'm just…amused."

"By what?"

"You."

"Then tell me," he said. "What is it that you find so amusing? What is it about me that you believe your tiny female brain has come to understand? Explain yourself!"

"You're gay," I said, smiling again.

Edward sputtered. "What? _WHAT_ did you just say?!"

"It all makes sense now," I said. "That's why you hate women so much. You realized you were gay and, because of your small, close-minded thought process, you started to believe it was women's fault you weren't attracted to them. Isn't that right? You say all these nasty, horrible things, yet deep down, it's all bravado. You don't think we're inferior. It's **you **who is inferior."

Edward twitched. "You…have a lot of nerve, Isabella, calling me such a disgusting word. As if I could possibly be a vile, heathen homosexual! They are filthy creatures! How dare you."

He came at me again and started rapidly trying to strike me, but again, I mostly dodged without hitting him back. In fact, as he ran at me, I started imagining him underneath a big, strong man plowing him while he moaned in joy. It was gross as hell, and yet, hilarious.

_I bet he has pet names,_ I thought. Edward snarled and I couldn't stop laughing.

"Shut your mouth, you bitch!" he shouted.

"Ah, ah, ah, Eddie used a bad word," I said. "Shame on you, young man."

**"STOP MOCKING ME!"**

I sighed. "You know, I'm kind of disappointed, Edward. This…isn't what I expected from our last battle. You, screaming your head off, while hilarious, is not what I thought would happen. But I suppose, in the end, it makes sense. You're falling apart because I figured out your secret. In fact, I think I figured out more than that with you. I—"

He cut me off by ramming into me and trying to sink his teeth into my throat, but I speedily elbowed him and threw him back. He got up again and came at me from the side, and this time, he managed to bite my shoulder. I didn't scream, however, as I grabbed his hair and tore him off of me. The venom stung my skin, sure. I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction.

I jabbed my thumbs into his eyes with enough force to pierce through them. Edward screamed and covered his face, but rather than finish him off, I kicked him between the legs and leapt up to climb into the rafters. I knew the venom would heal his eyes. It would take time, however.

"You want to know what I really think, Edward?" I asked. "I pity you."

"Shut up!" he snapped, still holding his face.

I grinned. "Here you are, a vampire eternally trapped in the body of a seventeen year old, and I bet you get a lot of women interested in you because of your good looks, don't you? You have to hear all of their thoughts in your head, talking about how hot you are and how they wish you would ask them out, and all you feel is petty hatred towards them for daring to find you interesting.

"But that isn't it, is it? It's not just because you're gay that you hate them. It's because you're obsessed with me, isn't it? I mean, look at you! You keep coming back to find me no matter how long we're apart. Sure, my anger and emotions are amusing to you. I get that. But why else do you constantly seek me out? It's not out of love. I think I do know what it is, however."

I leapt to a different rafter, watching Edward look up with bleeding eyes. I could tell they were starting to heal, but it wasn't enough for him to see me.

"Shut up, you stupid bitch!" he snapped. "Get down here this instant!"

I leapt down to his backside and leaned in close to his ear. "You're jealous of me, Eddie."

Edward roared and swung his arm to strike me, but I grabbed it and sank my teeth into his wrist. I tore it off seconds later and Edward's roar became a scream of pain. I spat the severed limb aside and dropkicked Edward away from me. He got up fast and clutched the stub.

"You were jealous of me when we first met, weren't you?" I asked. "I saw how your parents looked at you. How they treated you. Nothing you ever did was good enough, was it? And then you saw me and how I was with my family. Did it anger you then, to see someone, especially a girl, with a decent family living a decent life?

"And then your parents got sick and died. But you weren't relieved. You were left lonely and miserable, with no one to take care of you or cater to you. Somehow, you became a vampire, and when you saw how strong you were and you saw that you were finally better than everyone else, it went to your head. Yet you kept thinking about me, huh? I was always on your mind, I bet."

I could tell from the look on his face that I was hitting my mark. My assumptions were turning out to be true, which only served to surprise me and keep me going.

"Why, Edward?" I asked. "Why did you always think of me? What made me so special?" He snarled and kept attacking. I dodged each time and continued to press him in my mind, over and over, until he answered. "What's wrong, Edward? Can't you, the high and mighty man, answer a single question?"

"I have nothing to say to you!"

"I doubt that," I said. I kicked him in the face, sped around and elbowed him, then kicked him again. "Are you afraid to tell me?"

He clicked his teeth. "I saw how happy you were! You, a good-for-nothing nobody! You had a good family! You had friends! I didn't understand, didn't know how it was that someone like you, a pointless, pathetic girl who wasn't even that pretty, could feel that way!

"I hated it. Why was I, the son of someone important, never happy, while you were? And then I became a vampire, a God, and I came back to you. I heard your thoughts. I saw your life. You moved on despite wondering where I was! I couldn't allow that. I wouldn't! So I did what I did. I made you mine, Isabella, and to this day, you have always been mine!"

I sighed. Why, for all my hate, did I feel bad for Edward? "It's a new age, Edward. It's an entirely new generation. Women don't belong to men anymore, not in places where they think with their brains and hearts. I'm not a thing to own. I'm a person, not a possession."

"No!" he snapped. "You are a possession! I own you! I made love to you, I bore that worthless child with you! Therefore, you are by definition mine!"

I shook my head. "No. I am not. And I never will be. But I think you know that. It's one of the reasons you're jealous, because you've always wanted me. Was I the only woman to ever strike your interest? Was it because your parents wanted us to marry that you were so dead set on claiming me as yours, even to this day? To appease them and prove yourself to them?"

Edward's eyes, which were restored, blazed with seething fury. I was stunned. "That's it, isn't it? That's why you chase after me, why you obsess! You want to appease your dead parents. It's what all of this has been about. Oh, Edward. You poor, pitiful creature.

"And what's more, I think there's another reason for your jealousy. Because even as a vampire, I have something you've never had. A family that loves and supports me. I have parents, siblings, I have someone whom I love with my whole heart that loves me the same. And I have finally formed a relationship with my child, our child, one you never could."

"No," Edward said. "You're wrong. You're wrong about all of it!"

"I'm right," I said. "That just pisses you off more, doesn't it? I've always been right about you, from the day we met to this day. You are nothing but a sad little boy crying out for mommy and daddy, yearning for their approval and hating everyone you see that has what you don't, and a spoiled brat who thinks he's high and mighty when he is lower than dirt.

"Shut up! **Shut up!**" Edward snapped.

"You are pathetic, Edward," I said. "You are a scheming coward and a pitiful worm trying to pass off as something close to human. You have no friends. You have no family. No one loves you, or even cares about you. Everyone thinks you're worthless, including yourself.

"Do you want to know the saddest part? There was a time when I might feel sorry for you enough to try and help. Part of me is tempted to now, as amazing as that may sound. But I won't. You aren't worth it. You're not worth my time or emotion anymore, and it took me this long to realize that fact. You're worth nothing. Hell, you're hardly worth killing."

Edward let out a bellow that echoed throughout the entire warehouse. **_"FUCK YOU! FUCK YOUFUCKYOUFUCKYOU! YOU WORTHLESS WHORE!"_** He let out a garbled scream that I could barely hear as he surged at me and started pummeling me with his good hand and the stub where his other hand had once been.

I felt the strikes connecting as he gnashed his teeth at me for a moment until I used my speed to move around him. Edward rammed into the wall of the warehouse and tore it out before spinning around and, still seething and frothing at the mouth, he glared at me and lunged again.

_Poor baby Edward, _I thought. I started to chant the words in my head over and over, smirking at how the roles had been changed. He was the angry one, and I was the calm, smug one. And I loved every second of it._ Poor baby Edward. Poor baby Edward. Poor baby Edward._

He continued to let shriek after shriek as he attempted to attack me, but he missed each time. And as the seconds ticked away, Edward, the vampire I once loathed and wanted to murder with every fiber of my being, someone who I grudgingly had to admit was skilled and cunning, had devolved into little more than a tantrum throwing child in the body of a vampire.

His pathetic screams and the noises he made would have made me laugh more were it not for the fact that, in the end, he was truly, truly pitiful. I considered sparing him. For a few seconds.

Then, Edward stopped moving. He was still frothing and grunting as if he were out of breath when he turned to look away from me at Ebony. I moved, but I wasn't fast enough, because Edward had his handless arm around her neck while his hand was on top of her head.

**"SHE DIES!"** he shouted, laughing maniacally.

Ebony, however, closed her eyes and let out a growl as she unleashed a shockwave from her body. The shockwave tore through the entire warehouse and I had to close my eyes as the ground beneath my feet shook. When I reopened them, I saw that Edward was gone and that there was now a gaping hole in the warehouse behind where Ebony had been standing.

I swiftly moved to her and, when she gave me a nod that she was fine, ran out to see Edward lying on the ground. Ebony's shockwave had destroyed one arm and most of his clothes. A chunk of his chest was missing, and what was left of him was filled with cracks. He looked up at me with a pathetic expression on his face. He reached what was left of his only arm up at me.

"You…" he said. "How…how did you…"

I stared at him, stunned. I'd barely laid a hand on Edward, and yet, he looked like he was dying. For a moment, I considered the fact that this wasn't what I'd envisioned. I hadn't thought victory would be like this, and I looked at it as underwhelming. I'd expected…more.

Then, however, I realized something. What did I really expect to come from this? Some long, epic battle where I tore Edward apart and proved to him I was better? I'd done that. I beat him within an inch of his miserable life once before. I showed I was better than him. Why repeat it?

Not only that, but what would that have accomplished? My goal was to save Ebony and, given the state she was in, she was fine. I'd rushed over here to kill Edward, and here he was, a bloody, disgusting mess, still trying to fight me despite the state he was in. He was dead regardless.

"My God," I said. It hit me. What had I wasted my life on? Chasing a man who hated me more than I hated him? Making mistake after mistake, and for what? What had all of it been for? What had it done for me? It drove me, yes, and it helped me learn things, but what it all came down to was nothing.

I'd changed. Years ago, I would be savoring this kill. I would have been ripping him apart while I toyed with him instead of just mocking him. And when I thought on it, I saw that I had a different purpose in life now. I had Alice. My mate. My forever. And I had a family that had been there for me from the beginning. They'd watched me waste my life, yet they were still there, fighting by my side, helping me, supporting me when I needed it.

I'd neglected them. For too long, I'd put them second and my vengeance first.

"No more," I whispered, looking down at Edward. "I'm not going to let you ruin my life anymore, Edward Masen. From this day on, I rid my life of you for good."

He let out a gurgle. "Mercy…mercy!"

I shook my head. "Goodbye, Edward."

I lifted my left foot up as his eyes bulged, and in one swift movement, brought it down on top of his skull. I felt the skin break underneath my foot and watched blood and venom spurt out everywhere. And just like that, Edward was gone.

I removed my foot and shook it at vampire speed to get all the fluids off, then dragged his remains into the warehouse. Shortly after, Edward's body was on fire as smoke rolled off what was left of the man I'd chased since I became a vampire. I watched the blaze for a moment, soaking in both my revelations and my newfound resolve about my loved ones.

From here on out, Bella Cullen was going to be different. My old self was gone. Dead, maybe, or burning in the same fire as Edward. But I was going to be a better person. I was going to be a better sister, daughter and lover. And most of all, a better mother to my child.

"Ebony?" I said, turning to where she was. She was on her feet, the blood from her wounds gone and the wounds themselves mostly healed. I blurred over and pulled her into my arms. "It's over. He's gone. He'll never bother us again."

She wrapped her arms around me and sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing, Ebony." I lifted her chin so she was looking at me. "From here on out, things are going to change. I'm going to change, and I want you to do the same. Our old relationship, what you thought of me, of Edward…let that die here with him. We're going to start anew, okay?"

She smiled and nodded. "Okay."

I kissed her on the forehead. "Do you need help moving?"

"I can move on my own," she said. "But…thank you."

"Let's get back to the house," I said. "Carlisle and Esme can treat you there." She frowned, but I shook my head. "Don't give me that look, missy. I'm your mother and I want you to be looked at properly, because half-vampire or not, you can still be wounded in ways I can't. No being stubborn when it comes to your own welfare, understand?"

"Yes, Mom," she said.

We ran together back to the house, and not once did I look behind me at the smoke rising from Edward's dead body. It would be gone soon. Nothing but ashes that would be cleaned or scattered from wind blowing through the opening in the warehouse. Humans might discover it, but it would be too late by then. All that was left was to call about the two deceased humans.

When Ebony and I returned to the house, the others were all there, waiting. Alice threw her arms around me almost immediately when I walked in the door and I hugged and kissed her without a care in the world. Her sweet scent, the taste of her lips, her warmth, everything about her flowed through my body and I felt only joy to have her in my arms again.

"I saw," she said after she pulled away. "I…I can't believe…"

"Is he dead?" Jane asked.

I wrapped one arm around Alice and looked out at my family. "He's dead."

"Woohoo!" Emmett said, throwing a fist in the air. "Hell yeah, let's party, people!"

"You don't seem too happy about it," Jasper said.

I shrugged. "I guess…I came to realize that I'd been wasting too much time and life on Edward. And in that moment, I realized some things about him, too. It changed how I thought of him and took away my desire to kill him the same way. I felt pity for him, as weird as that may sound."

"Weird?" Rosalie said, gaping. "More like what the fuck happened to you?"

"I believe our Bella has finally grown up," Victoria said. "Smartened up, I should say."

"No, both," I said. "Listen, everyone." I looked at each of their faces, including Alice's. "I want to apologize for how I've acted in the past. But things will change, now. Edward is dead, and he's going to be gone from my thoughts forever after this day. I just want to say that…I'm going to be there for all of you the way you've been there for me. I'm going to change for the better."

"Not too much, I hope," Alice said.

"Indeed," Carlisle said, smiling. "We are proud of you, Bella, regardless of what has unfolded."

"Very proud," Esme said. "What of you, Ebony?" All eyes fell on Ebony, who grimaced. "There's no reason to be like that, dear. You've been through a lot yourself. You are still welcome in this house, you know. You're part of the family."

"I…really?" Ebony said, looking around. "After what I did?"

"What'd you do?" Rosalie asked. "I mean really, what?"

"I lied to you," Ebony said. "I tricked all of you, and I…" She looked at me. "I went against my own mother because I bought into my father's lies and manipulation."

"That is the past," Carlisle said. "We hold nothing against you for past mistakes, many of which were brought on by the manipulation you speak of. With his death, we no longer have cause to think or worry about him ever again. Therefore, you have a clean slate in our eyes."

Ebony seemed taken aback by his words and looked at me. "You heard him," I said.

She smiled, then. "Alright," she said. "I will prove myself to all of you. Thank you."

The atmosphere in the room became one of comfort and happiness, but before I could walk into the family room to join the others, Alice stopped me.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Three things," she said. She kissed me on the mouth again. "That's one. Two, I love you and you stink for running off without me. And three…" She looked into my eyes, her blue ones smoldering with love and something else. "I want to be a vampire."

**A/N: And thus, Edward is gone. Allow me to explain.**

**I realize some of you did expect a big, epic fight. And for that, I apologize. However, I'd always planned on something like this. Bella was going to derail Edward the way he's done to her so many times, reducing him to the sniveling little worm he really is. All the bravado, gone. All the arrogance, gone. That right there was the real Edward, and the point was for Bella to realize that. Everything else just sort of fell into place from there.**

**One more chapter, folks. Then, it's over. :)**


	71. Epilogue: Swift Immortality

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. Meyer does. I own only my characters and ideas, and that's it. **

**Epilogue: Swift Immortality**

I stared up at my ceiling as music boomed through my headphones, smiling at the rhythm of the two heartbeats I could still hear—and feel—close by. Alice lay next to me, snuggling close to my body, while Ebony was at my other side with her eyes closed, looking relaxed when I glanced at her. She was awake still, I knew that much.

Everyone was at peace.

Edward was dead. Gone. A distant memory. With him no longer in the picture and my family whole again, things had calmed down and become pretty lax. It had been three months since Edward's death, in fact, and not once had there been a problem. No vampires, no angry shifters, no falling explosives, nothing. Just the family growing closer after being apart for far too long, which included Ebony's gradual integration.

Three months. It hit me that, under normal circumstances, that would have been a long time. But it didn't feel like it. To me, those three months felt like one continuous month filled with awkwardness, a bit of tension, but more than anything, a lot of bonding. We went out all the time, to the movies, to the arcade, the beach—during the night.

We did family things together, and it had been amazing. I was finally having a relationship with my daughter and seeing her grow closer to my family thrilled me to no end. And of course, having Alice by my side and spending time with Alice was equally amazing. The only that thing topped it was seeing Alice and Ebony together, treating one another as friends. In fact, Ebony seemed to look at Alice like a second mother. I was touched.

There was only one thing that was missing—well, several things—but the one that came to mind the most was Alice herself. She wanted to be turned. She wanted me to be the one to do it, in fact, something I'd been training myself for. Yet Alice didn't say when she wanted to be a vampire. I figured she was soaking it in because of how big a decision it was to make.

"Bella?" Alice said, drawing me out of my thoughts.

I turned to her and saw her blue eyes staring back at me. "Yeah?"

"How's it going?" she asked.

"Good."

She smirked. "I've been thinking."

I chuckled. "That's never a good thing. What about?"

"Shut up." She stuck her tongue out at me, then brushed her lips to mine. "I've decided I want you to turn me tonight, if that's fine with everyone." That caught me by surprise and she continued. "I know I've been putting it off, but I wanted time to think about it. The day never mattered, really. I just wanted to be sure I was mentally prepared for everything. Now, I am."

I stared into her eyes and saw the resolve burning in them. "Alright," I said. "I'll tell Carlisle and Esme, and then, tonight, I'll turn you." I smiled. "It's weird. Before, I was afraid of turning you because of my self-control, but after everything that's happened… I'm not scared anymore."

"I have faith in you," Alice said. She tapped her temple. "Besides, I've seen the result. It'll work just fine. So there's nothing to worry about."

"Oh?" I narrowed my eyes. "Are you sure? You are quite tasty, you know." I removed my earbuds and tossed my iPod aside, then ran my fingers down her body. "I may give in to the temptation…" Alice merely smirked. "Not. I would never."

A cough prevented Alice from responding. "Can you two please not do that?" Ebony asked.

"Aw, is poor Ebony being disturbed?" Alice asked, giggling. She jumped up and pounced on my daughter. "Tough." She smirked while Ebony's eyes opened and she stared at Alice. "You know, I've been wondering something. You're half vampire, half human. So… does that mean you're half ticklish?"

Ebony's eyes bulged. "No." Alice and I shared a look. We both grinned at Ebony. "Oh crap."

A few hours of hearing Ebony squeal and laugh—which was even more adorable than Alice's laughter, although I ended up turning on Alice and tickling both girls, much to Alice's dismay. It was extremely fun and I loved listening to them laugh—we left my room together. Alice and Ebony ended up going downstairs while I stayed upstairs, deciding to go see Esme.

Carlisle was at work, but Esme wasn't. I didn't have any reason for the visit, I just wanted to talk to my mother since we hadn't sat down together in private for a while. So, I headed to her room, knocked once, then entered. She was putting flowers in a vase by her bed when I walked in.

"Hello, Bella," she said, turning to me seconds later and smiling.

"Hey, Esme," I said. "Could you look any more domestic?"

Esme chuckled. "Ha ha, very funny." She came over and pulled me into a hug. "To be flat out honest, I was bored and felt the room could use some touching up. Carlisle normally does the touching up, I'll have you know, but he's at work, so he can't." She poked me in the belly. "What brings my stinker daughter into my humble room, hmm? Other than insulting me, that is."

"I came to visit," I said, poking her back. "And make fun of you."

"Figures." Esme rolled her eyes. "What can I do for you?"

"Alice wants me to turn her tonight," I said.

Esme lifted an eyebrow. "Really now? So soon?"

I chuckled at the playful sarcasm. "Yeah. She told me, like, a few hours ago."

"That's wonderful news," Esme said. She planted a kiss on my cheek. "I'll inform Carlisle so he's aware ahead of time. We'll figure something out for the next few days so that you two are alone once she wakes up. That will give her time to adjust to being a vampire. I think after she's adjusted enough, we'll move up to Alaska. It'll be easier for us there until Alice is able to control her blood lust. Then we can pick a new place to move to."

"Cool," I said. I had to admit I was a little worried about Alice's changing, however. It was going to be a pain dealing with her as a newborn since she was going to be super strong and have the same problems I did. But I would help her deal with that hurdle when it came up.

"I should probably mention that I've taken the liberty of building a house for you to change her in," Esme said.

I gaped. "What?"

"I did indeed," Esme said, nodding. "I built it a month ago, in fact. I'm surprised Alice didn't see it, or if she did, tell you. Of course, I'm quite good at keeping things under wraps, and I'm guessing you kept her 'preoccupied' the whole time." She snickered again. "Point is, I'll lead you to it tonight. It's quite far from humans, in an area where there's no game or hiking trails, so you shouldn't have any humans popping up uninvited.

"Not that we won't keep an eye out, because we will. We'll have to." She frowned then. "You will keep in contact with us, won't you? Carlisle and I can be there to oversee you turn her if you wish, just to make sure there are no issues. Not that there would be, but…"

"I know," I said. "I'd like that, thank you. And yes, I'll keep in touch with you. But, Esme, you didn't have to build a whole new house for us."

"Bah." Esme waved it off. "It was no problem. I needed something to do in my spare time, anyways." She paused for a moment. "Tell me, how is Ebony doing?"

"She seems to be doing really well," I said. "She's warmed up to Alice and everyone else a lot quicker than I thought, which I'm really happy for."

"As am I," Esme said. "After everything the poor girl's been through, it's nice to see her relaxing and being happy. The others have certainly warmed up to her, too. In fact, we all see her as family now, not that we never did. These past few months have been splendid, though. It's nice to see this family spending so much time together."

"Yeah, and without anyone complaining," I said. "I doubt that'll last much longer."

"Probably not," Esme said, laughing. "It was nice while it lasted."

"Thanks, Esme," I said, throwing my arms around her. We hugged and then I broke away and headed downstairs, joining Alice and Ebony in the family room with the others.

"So you're finally gonna become immortal, huh?" Emmett asked. "Wicked. We were taking bets on when you'd choose."

"A bet that _I_ won," Cynthia said. She smirked. "See, I told you guys I knew my sister."

"Yeah, yeah," Leah said. She grumbled and handed Cynthia a five dollar bill while Rosalie, Jane and Riley each gave Cynthia a twenty. "That wasn't fucking fair, Cynth. Alice probably told you beforehand or planned it for this day so you would win." Cynthia and Alice laughed. "Damn it."

"Oh, stop whining," Jasper said. "Be happy, why don't you?"

"Easy for you to say," Rosalie said. "You didn't lose any money." She scowled, then gave Alice a peck on the cheek. "At any rate, good on you for deciding at last. It'll be nice to have you as a vampire finally. We've been waiting for too long as it is, although I doubt it's been as long as Bella."

"Yeah, yeah," I said.

Alice scoffed. "I had to make it the perfect day, guys. A girl needs everything to be perfect."

"Liar," Leah said. "You just wanted Cynthia to win to make us look bad."

"That doesn't take much difficult when it comes to some of us," Riley said. "Not that I'm naming any names."

"Emmett, Rosalie, Victoria, Jasper," Jane said, smirking. "There. Named 'em all."

"Hey, I resent that!" Emmett shouted.

Ebony giggled. "I think you resemble it, Uncle Em."

"Why thank y-waaaait a minute!" Emmett huffed. "Not cool!"

While everyone continued to bicker, I turned my attention to Alec, who sat beside Jane, watching on with amusement. "You're looking well, Alec," I said, and he turned to glance at me with dark gold eyes. "Gold eyes suit you."

Alec smiled and nodded. "Well, thank you."

Alec was the newest addition to our growing family-which was so big now, moving was pretty much our only choice-and he had embraced the vegetarian diet. During the past three months, his eyes had changed colors and he had sworn off ever killing a human for the rest of his immortal life. Jane was thrilled and Alec had, like Ebony and Leah before him, gradually melded with the family to become a Cullen. He was still in the process of it, but I saw him as a brother without question. I was happy to have him. We all were.

"Enough of the sappy shit," Jane said. "Let's have some fun to celebrate Alice's last day as a human! Drinks all around!"

"We don't HAVE any drinks," Victoria said.

"Oh. Right." Jane pouted. "Okay, fine. Let's play some games then!"

Another few hours passed by of nothing but everyone bonding. We played board games, video games, watched Underworld—for the twentieth time—and then some. Then, however, Alice cleared her throat and stood up.

"I think it's time," Alice said. She shared a brief look with Cynthia, then walked over to me. "Esme built us a cottage, I heard? That was really nice of her." She smiled. "I saw her and Carlisle leading us to it. It's beautiful."

"Cheater," I said.

"Guilty."

Carlisle and Esme blurred into the room at that moment. "Did I hear right?" Esme asked.

"I don't see why you wouldn't," Carlisle said. "You have excellent hearing, dear." Esme rolled her eyes while Carlisle nodded to us. "You're prepared, Alice?"

"Yes."

"Then follow us," Carlisle said.

The others all gave Alice hugs and cheek kisses, along with words of encouragement about her transformation. Emmett pulled her into a bear hug, Victoria teased her and Cynthia held her for a good minute or so, whispering into her ear. Leah gave her a fist bump, and then we went outside. Alice jumped onto my back and I began following my parents.

Carlisle and Esme sped through the forest while I was on their heels with Alice on my back. It didn't take long for us to reach the small house Esme had built, which was gorgeous, just as Alice had said. I was amazed at the amount of work Esme had put into it and touched all the same since she'd built it especially for us.

"Esme…" I said, unable to finish my sentence.

She waved her hand. "Don't worry. It's good work, I'm fully aware."

"Humility, Esme," Carlisle said, chuckling. He led us inside and turned to smile at Alice and me. "The moment has finally come, it would seem. Esme and I will be here the entire time for the both of you until after Bella's bitten you, Alice."

"Thank you," Alice said.

"Of course," Carlisle replied. "There's a bed in here." He motioned for us to follow again and we entered a room with a single bed in the center, pillows and blankets all around.

It didn't take long for Alice to get comfortable on the bed. Esme and Carlisle talked to her for a few minutes, reminding her of everything to expect, then left the room to give us some privacy. I walked up to Alice and gazed down at her as my mind raced.

"Are you ready?" I asked. I could hear her heart fluttering in her chest as she looked into my eyes. I reached out to take her hand. She squeezed mine before I could squeeze hers, but I smiled and moved closer to her, ducking down to kiss her. "I love you, Ali."

"Love you too, Belly-Button," Alice said. "More than the world. And to answer your question, no… and yes."

"That tells me a lot," I said.

She snickered. "I'm ready, Bella. I've been ready for a while now, I was just too chicken to admit it. I want this. So let's not hesitate or beat around the bush." Her eyes smoldered. "Bite me."

We held each other's gazes for a moment longer. Then, I kissed her. Several times, in fact, before I broke away. I closed my eyes and moved my head down to her chest, lowering it until it was resting against the fabric of her shirt. I stood there, listening to her heart. I wanted to commit it to memory, the wonderful sound of it beating, since it was going to be gone soon.

_This is it,_ I told myself. _This… this is what I've been waiting for. For years, I've wanted a mate, someone to love and be with the way my other family members did. Now, I have her, and I'm about to make her immortal, just like me. Alice Brandon, my mate, my everything, for all eternity. No more waiting or yearning._

I felt resolve burning inside of me and lifted my head. Alice was watching me, love and warmth shimmering in her eyes. She smiled a little, and I smiled back.

I bit her. Soon, Alice would be my immortal bride. And nothing would ever take away from her for me.

**END**

**A/N: And that, folks, is the end. Short, yes, but I didn't feel like I needed to write it long since this was a much more fitting way to close it. I know there may be some things left unanswered, but I may do another epilogue or two like I did with Blood Solstice when I'm in the mood for it. Right this minute, however, I'm finished with this story. And, for the most part, I'm happy with it.**

***heaves a sigh of relief* Finally. I wasn't sure I would ever get this story done. xD**

**I just want to say thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed this story. I'm aware it isn't perfect, and for that, I am truly sorry. It started off strong, I'd like to think, but after everything that went on in my life, my enthusiasm ended up dying after a certain point. That's not because I hated the story or writing it, it's just something that ended up happening. I've seen it with other writers. It's life, ya know? Still, I know this story isn't the best. But it, like Blood Solstice, is still special to me and all of you have made it all the more special. So thanks for putting up with me, my lateness and any moodiness I displayed during my writing of this story. It was fun while it lasted, and I am happy to have had all of you with me. Again, thank you.**

**I'm not going to be doing a sequel to this story any time soon. I'm going to move on to new projects. But that doesn't mean I won't eventually write one, so don't worry about that. Either way, for now, I bid you all adieu. The next big story I write, I'm not going to be writing it alone. Suffice to say, I think this next one is gonna be awesome. Until then. **

**Peace, Hollowgo.**


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